


the moss

by rainfriend



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, Bittersweet, Childhood Friends, Clay | Dream and Toby Smith | Tubbo are Siblings, Dadza, Dream's POV, Fantasy AU, Flashbacks, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Hybrids, Memory Loss, Might switch, Most of the time, Nightmares/Weird Dreams, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Platonic Cuddling, Prince/King George, can't forget tubbo, forest motif, lowkey inspired by the moss by cosmo sheldrake, no beta i die like a man, no interactions are romantic, plus tubbo, seriously phil is such a dad, sleepy bois inc family - Freeform, some OCs, sorry for the funky grammar english is not my first language, they arent main characters so, this is my first fic i honestly dont know what im doing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-17
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:42:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 21
Words: 66,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27599083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainfriend/pseuds/rainfriend
Summary: Dream wakes up on a beach, with nothing but a dopey smiley face mask, a sword, no memories and a pounding headache. Not only does he not know where he is, he doesn't knowwhohe is.Or what he's done.
Relationships: Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream & Toby Smith | Tubbo, Clay | Dream & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Dave | Technoblade & Toby Smith | Tubbo & Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit & Phil Watson, No Romantic Relationship(s)
Comments: 354
Kudos: 1171





	1. Beached

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello!!! this is my first fic to ever upload anywhere!!! i really hope you enjoy this, I've been working on it for quite some time now!   
> I should say that if anyone featured in this fic has said that they are uncomfortable with fanfiction, that you please tell me. I will remove them entirely from this. If anyone who currently is okay with being in fanfiction later on decides that they are uncomfortable with it, I will either remove them or remove the fic entirely. Content creator's comfort comes first.  
> And that's it!!! Please enjoy!

Dream woke up to warmth.

He didn’t open his eyes immediately, he just laid there, basking in the heat that enveloped him. Slowly, his senses returned. He felt something soft cushion the back of his head, and as his hearing returned, he heard the crash of ocean waves. As he opened his eyes, above him he saw only blue.

Dream sat up, propping his hands behind his back and looking around. He was on a beach. A deserted beach, in fact it didn’t seem like there was anything except sand and ocean around him for miles. 

Then, the headache hit.

It was intense and painful, causing his surroundings to blur. The warmth of the sand that used to be soft and gentle turned scorching, threatening to burn Dream’s hands. Dream sat in agony for a few moments, curled up into a ball, before he remembered that he was sitting on a beach. He crawled towards the waves and waited for one to come, quickly scooping the water into his hands and bringing it to his mouth. It was practically instant relief. 

With a sigh, Dream stood and turned around. Behind him, there was a sharp incline of rocks, and on it, a forest that seemed to go on forever. But the most curious, is what Dream didn’t notice when he woke up. 

On the sand beside where Dream laid before, sat a mask, and beside it, a sword. The mask was white with a dorky black smiley on it, and the sword gleamed a blinding silver in the light. Dream’s instinct told him to first reach for the mask, and he did. The smooth ceramic mask was cool to the touch, despite the mask having been previously laying out in the sun. _Put it on_ , a voice deep in Dream said. Dream didn’t understand where this instinct came from, but as he put the mask over his face, it felt like muscle memory. Surprisingly, Dream could see through the mask, despite him not seeing any eyeholes when he had held it, but he didn’t get to question it much longer as the gleam of the sword distracted him. The sword was heavy in Dream’s hand, but the worn leather grip felt made for him.

Reaching behind his back, Dream found a sword sheath. Had that been on his back this entire time? Dream had so many questions. He did another spin around, putting the sword into its sheath. There were no tracks in the sand around him, despite the ones he made crawling to the water, and doing several spins to get an idea of his surroundings. Then Dream realized, not only did he not know where he was, he didn’t know anything. He can’t remember how he got onto this beach, he can’t remember this mask or this sword, or when and how he put on his clothes or got the many miniscule cuts on his hands. 

All he knows is that his name is Dream. 

That’s it.

These thoughts scare Dream, and he feels his breath speed up and his heart begins to pound in his ears. He quickly evens his breath. He can’t afford to panic now, because panic will only eat away at his energy, and as far as he was aware, regaining energy would be difficult. 

“I have two options,” Dream says aloud, to further ground himself. He can walk alongside the beach until he finds some sort of civilization, maybe a fisherman or some seaside town, or, he can trek into the woods. The beach sounds like a good idea, the sand is warm and water is right beside him, but Dream knows that the heat will eventually get to his head and the salty water will kill him. He doesn’t like to think that he’d walk long enough for the salt in the water to kill him, but he should prepare for the worst. The forest has more supplies, it looks dense with trees and there’s bound to be more animals for Dream to hunt in the forest. A sword definitely isn't good fishing equipment, and he doesn’t even know how far out he’d have to swim to find edible fish. So, the forest it is.

Dream quickly scales the small drop from the forest down to the beach, and pulls himself up onto the grass. He is immediately met with a lush forest, and shade that feels good against the top of his head. It was so dark, one might think it was nearing nighttime. 

Dream began his trek through the forest, taking gaps between plants that almost looked like they could be trails. A rustle in the bushes beside Dream immediately caught his attention. Crouching down, Dream quietly parted the bushes with his left hand, keeping his right firmly planted on his sword. 

In a small clearing ahead, sat a rabbit, nibbling at some grass. Dream’s stomach rumbled so loudly he feared the rabbit would hear and scatter away, but it stood still. Dream began to unsheathe his sword before stopping himself. The sword could probably shred that rabbit, and Dream didn’t want to eat meat scraps especially since the rabbit was so thin. Dream probably wouldn’t even consider killing such a thin rabbit if he wasn't as hungry as he was in the moment. To avoid destroying the small amount of meat on the animal, Dream decided he’d have to strangle it. He sat still for a few moments, feeling himself wind up, before he pounced, arms outstretched. 

Dream was fast, but unfortunately, the rabbit was faster. It dashed away with a squeak, off into bushes and completely out of sight. Dream was winded, as he had landed on his stomach and not his hands, and the grass wasn’t as soft as it looked. He laid on his stomach for a bit, face in the dirt, before standing up. He had to keep going, there were plenty more rabbits in the woods. Fatter and slower ones, too. 

Dream’s stomach did not cease it’s rumbling after several hours of walking, and Dream could feel his feet aching. He cursed himself for wearing such strange boots, as if he could remember ever making the decision to wear them. Dream plopped down on a fallen tree to rest. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, letting the crisp air fill his lungs. He sat like that for a moment, letting himself relax, until he heard a voice.

At first, Dream thought it was an animal squeak, but after the voice spoke again, he knew it was a person. The knowledge that there was a person near him both terrified and excited Dream, as people meant civilization, but people could also mean danger, hostility, and death. So he crouched, hand on the hilt of his sword, much like back with the rabbit. He peeked around a tree and ducked into the bushes.

Ahead of him stood a boy, much shorter than Dream is, almost by a foot probably. The boy had a satchel thrown over his shoulder, which seemed to be full of things, and the boy was reaching up to a beehive with a glass bottle in his hands. 

“Sorry to be a bother, Dadza just needs some honey…” He said. His voice was somewhat high pitched and slightly accented, so Dream deemed it safe to assume that this was a child he was dealing with. A child who was talking to the bees. Interesting. 

The boy hummed a tune as honey dripped into his jar, and Dream got tired of just observing. He needed to do something, he just didn’t know what. He could turn and run, but this was a huge opportunity. His best bet was talking to the kid, but even so, that felt dangerous. Dream scoffed at himself. The kid was talking to bees, that definitely didn't make him appear very intimidating. And if the boy ended up being hostile, Dream was nearly a whole foot taller and equipped with a sword. Easy fight. 

So, Dream braced himself, standing up and walking out of the bush.

The boy turned out the sound of leaves rustling and gasped, backing up against the tree. Dream didn’t know what to say, but he made note to keep his hand off his sword to appear as little intimidating as possible. The boy did nothing but stare, eyes wide and completely frozen. Dream felt incredibly awkward, just staring at this kid. Suddenly, the boy spoke. 

“Who are you?” He said, his voice full of wonder. Dream was a little taken aback. There was no fear in the boy’s tone, posture, eyes, nothing. He didn’t seem scared in the slightest. 

“Aren’t kids not supposed to talk to strangers?” Dream suddenly blurted out. He cursed at himself inside his head. What the hell was that? Wasn’t he trying to talk to this kid? The boy suddenly smiled.

“Well, if you tell me who you are, and I do the same, then we won’t be strangers, yeah?” The boy’s cheery tone bored into Dream’s skull. This was a painfully strange interaction. 

“My name’s Dream.” Dream said slowly, and the boy giggled slightly. 

“Dream? Isn’t that a word?” Confusion overtook Dream, but he responded playfully anyway. 

“Aren’t all names just words?” The boy stopped to think at that, before nodding. 

“I guess you’re right. My family calls me Tubbo!” The boy-Tubbo- says.  


“Family? Do you live around here? Is there a town nearby?” Dream inquired. This was big. He was a step closer to finding civilization. His biggest hope was a city, in a city he could maybe find out more about who he was and how he got where he is now. 

Tubbo pulled a cork out of his satchel and screwed it onto the glass bottle of honey that was still in his hand. “Yes and no. I do live around here, but my family and I live alone on our farm.” He said, putting the bottle away.

Dream’s heart shattered. A family living alone on a farm is very far from a city. He doubted these random people would know who he is. But he quickly regained himself as Tubbo spoke again. “Where are you from, Dream?” 

“I uhm….” Dream was not expecting a question like this. “I actually don’t know.” Tubbo quirked an eyebrow.

“How can you not know where you come from? How did you end up in this forest?”

Dream sighed and put a hand on the back of his neck. “I don’t remember. I just woke up on the beach and wandered into the forest.” Yikes. If Dream were a small teenage boy wandering around in the forest, he’d take that as his queue to run far far away and back to his family. But Tubbo stood where he was. 

“Mm, I see!” Was all Tubbo said in response. 

It was quiet for a few beats as Tubbo got on his knees and dug around his satchel. Tubbo then stood, swinging his satchel back over his shoulder. “In that case, would you like to stay with my family and I?” 

Dream’s heart, formerly shattered, now soared in his chest. Shelter. That sounded amazing. He was not looking forward to sleeping on the hard, cold ground. “I-Yes! Thank you!” Dream’s face split into a grin, and Tubbo mirrored it. 

“Awesome! Follow me then, I know the way home like the back of my hand.” 

Happily following Tubbo, Dream walked through the forest. His head was full with the idea of warmth and safety, things Dream hasn’t felt yet and cannot remember ever feeling, but strangely longs for. But then he remembers Tubbo’s family.”Wait-Tubbo, hold on.” Dream said, stopping. Tubbo stopped and turned around to face Dream, confusion written all over his face. 

“Your family. Would they be okay with me staying?” Just because Tubbo was okay with Dream staying, doesn’t mean Tubbo’s mysterious family would be. They could be aggressive and defensive. Or worse. Tubbo seemed to just be a naive kid, after all.

Tubbo smiled. “Oh, of course! I’m sure Dadza wouldn’t mind at all. My brothers on the other hand…” Tubbo trailed off. Dream sucked in a breath. 

“Your brothers… they wouldn't want to hurt me….right?” Tubbo’s smile became more hesitant as he let out a nervous laugh.

“They’re just a little aggressive! But Dadza will knock them right back into their places if they are to try anything, I’m sure!” Tubbo said, turning back to the trail and continuing to walk. “Come on, Dream! We don’t wanna let it get dark!”  


Dream stood behind, caught in his thoughts, before shaking them off and jogging to catch up with Tubbo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woooo first chapter! i really hope you liked it. kudos and comments are appreciated, as well as any tips!! english is not my first language, and although i'm generally fluent i tend to miss or forget certain rules. i'm also very new to archive of our own, so if i seem to be tagging or doing anything wrong, let me know!!!! thank you so much for reading <3


	2. Farm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whaaat.....two updates in one day.....crazy! Little short update for the evening, I'm just cranking these out to make sure that I don't forget to upload anything tomorrow! I have about five and a half chapters pre-written, I just wanna double check on those before I mass post them and then just vanish lol. Anyways, enjoy this chapter!!! Kudos and comments are always appreciated <333

“Here we are!” Tubbo exclaims. Dream snaps out of his thoughts and looks ahead of him to see; nothing.

Literally nothing. Ahead of Tubbo there was only more dense forest. Dream felt anger and fear bubble and mix inside of him. Was this some sort of joke? “Tubbo, there literally isn’t anything there.” Tubbo gasped a little and laughed. 

“Ah, sorry! I forgot I didn’t tell you about the barrier.” 

Dream looked down at the boy. “Barrier?” He asked. 

Tubbo nodded, “Yeah, barrier. Dadza’s very talented with magic, so he placed a barrier around our farm to keep the unwanted out. It just looks like a forest, but our Farmhouse is behind it. One sec..”

Tubbo pressed an outstretched palm into the air, but Dream gasped as color outlined his fingers. “Hot milk.” Tubbo said confidently.  


pSuddenly, an opening formed in what appeared to be the barrier. “Don’t just stand there, come on!” Tubbo laughed, walking into the opening. Dream hesitantly walked in and watched as the barrier closed behind him, appearing shiny yet transparent, like a bubble. He turned back to look at Tubbo, and then beyond him. The sunset illuminated a farm. Tons of fences surrounding crops. Dream could see lettuce and pumpkins, potatoes and carrots, and far ahead of them, trees dotted with various fruits. On the other side of the blotted stone path was a garden of flowers, all various colors and sizes. Farther ahead, by the fruit trees, stood a farmhouse. It seemed big and comfortable, seemingly two stories tall with a loft. Light shined out of the windows.

“Man, you’re slow!” Tubbo said with a teasing grin as he grabbed Dream’s hand. Dream smiled and let Tubbo pull him towards the farm house. As they neared, Dream could hear soft guitar music from inside, and it grew louder as Tubbo pushed the wooden door open. “I’m home!” He called in. The guitar music stopped, and footsteps could be heard from all over the house.

“Finally Tubbo, I was starting to get super impatient. I thought, ‘It can’t possibly take him that long to get honey, he’s not that stupid.’ And yet you-” A loud voice trailed off. A boy entered what seemed to be the living room. The boy’s height caught Dream off guard, as he was much taller than Tubbo. The new boy was around the same height as Dream and had shocking blonde hair in comparison to Tubbo’s dark brown. The boys came to an immediate stop upon seeing Dream standing in the living room, his blue eyes widening in shock.

“Tubbo.”

“Yeah?”

“Who the fuck is this.”

Dream bit his lip. He wasn’t expecting the best from the way Tubbo described his brothers, but seeing how short Tubbo was, he wasn’t expecting much of a challenge from them either. Yet, this new boy was the same height as Dream. Although evidently not as strong, if Tubbo’s family consisted of many more giants, Dream would be in trouble.

Somehow, no panic radiated off of Tubbo. His voice was calm and normal. “Oh yeah, this is Dream! He’ll be staying with us!”

“I-what-Tubbo! Are you fucking mad?!” Tubbo’s brother sputtered, gesturing wildly at Dream, who felt insanely out of place. 

“Oh come on, Tommy! Phil’s brought home strangers before and they’ve stayed over! And Dream isn’t even a stranger! I know just as much about him as he knows about himself!”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?!”

The boy, apparently named Tommy, covered his face with his hands and groaned loudly, before turning to the stairs beside him and running upstairs. “Phil!” He shouted, and Tubbo sighed, looking up at Dream.

“I’m sorry about Tommy. He’s very closed off, strangers make him nervous.” Tubbo apologized softly. Dream opened his mouth to reassure Tubbo, before a pair of footsteps came stomping downstairs. It was Tommy again, but now accompanied with a shorter man. The man, who Dream presumed to be Phil, was evidently older than both Tommy and Tubbo. And seeing the way Tommy ran to him, Dream thought it'd be safe to assume that Phil is also the “Dadza” Tubbo had mentioned. Making him their dad. But the most peculiar thing about Phil, was a pair of gray wings folded behind his back. Phil looked Dream up and down, his eyes slightly wide. 

“Good evening.” He said, his voice smooth. 

“...Hello.” Dream cursed at how nervous his voice sounded.

“Tubbo, what’d you say this man’s name was?” Phil asked, turning his attention to Tubbo, who informed his father of Dream’s name. Dream was slightly annoyed at the way that Phil asked Tubbo for Dream’s name instead of Dream himself, but he rubbed it off. “Where are you from, Dream?” 

“It’s complicated.” 

Tubbo immediately butts in. “He woke up on the beach! He can’t remember anything before waking up on the beach. He just wandered around in the forest until we met.” Phil narrowed his eyes and turned back to Dream. “Is this true?”

Dream nodded. “Yeah, it is. I just woke up on the beach. I can't remember anything before except my name.” Phil nodded, and then turned to Tubbo and Tommy. 

“You two. Go get your brothers. Dream, come sit on the couch with me.” Tommy and Tubbo nodded and bolted upstairs, whispering to one another. Once they were gone, Phil gestured for Dream to follow him to the couch. Dream sat down, and immediately, his exhaustion caught up with him. His feet hurt from countless hours of walking, and his clothing felt heavy on his skin. With every blink he felt more tired.  


“Do you mind if I look at your head?” Phil said. 

“W-What?” 

“Ah, sorry! That must’ve caught you off guard,” Phil said with a smile. “You just said you can’t remember anything. I apologize for being skeptical, but it seems like a far-fetched story. I want to check your head for any signs of blunt force trauma.” Dream sat still for a moment. He couldn’t blame Phil for being skeptical, so he simply nodded. Phil smiled, “Great.”  


Dream had to lean down for Phil to check his head, and the minute Phil ran a gentle hand over the back of Dream’s skull, Dream hissed in pain. Phil retracted his hand and frowned, parting Dream’s dirty blonde hair over the spot where it hurt. “Oh shit,” Phil said, his voice low. 

“What?” Dream asked. He sucks in a breath, preparing himself for bad news. 

“That’s a nasty bruise. Definitely looks like you got hit pretty hard right on the back of your head.”  


Dream’s heart sunk. He didn’t even know. “Did you wake up wet? On the beach, I mean?” Phil asks, standing up and moving towards the kitchen. 

“No, I woke up dry. And there were no footsteps or sand irregularities around me, so I think I was out for a while.” Phil let out a hum.  


“I believe you, Dream.” Dream looked up. “Looking at that bruise, I wouldn’t be surprised that it knocked you out and fucked with your memories.” Dream smiled, but it was sad. 

“Thank you for believing me.” Phil returned the smile. 

“On that note, you can stay here. I can only imagine how scary it is to wake up in an unfamiliar place only knowing your name,” Phil’s voice turned sympathetic as his smile dropped. He returned to the couch with a mug of what looked and smelled like tea. He smiled again, handing it to Dream. “So, you can stay until you find out as much as you need to safely leave.” Dream grins, his smile touching both his ears. He hadn’t experienced such kindness yet. 

“Thank you so much-” Dream’s thanks were quickly cut off by a deep voice sounding from the stairs.  


“Who the fuck?” Dream turned to look at the stairs, seeing Tommy and Tubbo alongside two tall men. Tall men. The one who spoke was wearing a yellow sweater, a pair of glasses on his face and a beanie on his head. The man who stood behind him was very….different. He had hooves, to say the least. A bright pink braid slung over his shoulder and two big bottom teeth that peeked out of his mouth.  


“Ah boys! This is Dream. He will be staying with us for a bit.” Phil said, his voice bright. “Dream, you’ve met Tommy and Tubbo. The one with brown hair is Wilbur, and the one beside him is Techno.” 

“Woah woah woah, slow down. This guy’s gonna be staying with us? Who the fuck is he?” Phil sighed.

“Dream’s suffering memory loss due to head trauma. He woke up on the beach. It would be cruel to leave him to fend for himself when he doesn’t know anything besides his name.” 

“He has a sword,” Techno points out, his voice making him sound incredibly bored and uninterested. 

Dreams hands fly up next to his ears in a panic. “I swear I woke up with it!” 

“How do we know you’re telling the truth?” Tommy counters. 

“Boys!” Phil shouts crossing his arms. The room falls into silence for a few beats, and Phil sighs. “You’re acting like I wouldn’t know if he was lying.”  


That was quite the ominous statement. As far as Dream was aware, Philza was a magic user. He could definitely do something to find out if Dream was lying. He shivered at the thought of his mind being probed. “Alright, on that note.” Phil said, folding his hands in his lap. “Dream will be staying in your room. There’s the spare mattress in the closet, right? And spare bed sheets? Just lay those out on the ground.” There’s a light groan from Tommy and Wilbur, Techno shrugs, and Tubbo beams a smile at Dream.  


And thus marked the beginning of Dream's stay at the farmhouse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said, pretty short. I'm not too scared about pushing out huge chapters, as I feel no one will see this fic haha. You can find me on twitter at @T0BYTHEWORLD, where I post about fic related stuff and any other things I may work on!! Thank you so much for reading, hope you enjoyed <3


	3. Morning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi everyone!!! thank you for so much love on the past two chapters, I seriously thought no one would see this! and yet, we're at 291 hits! thank you so much for the kudos, comments and bookmarks! thank you so much to those who gave me tips as well, i hope to improve each chapter to the best of my ability! please enjoy <3

“So you’re telling me,” Tommy says, thumping upstairs with Tubbo beside him and Dream directly behind. “You don’t know about the kingdoms?” 

“Well of course he doesn’t know about the kingdoms. He doesn’t know about anything,” Wilbur remarks from behind Dream. 

They all walk into a spacious room which was supposedly the one the brothers share. Dream was surprised, to say the least. It was a big room, with one end being a long desk with chairs of various colors and sizes in front of it. Beside the desk, there were a bunch of items scattered around a piano with a guitar case leaning against it. On the opposing side of the room, there were bunk beds that almost looked like they were floating on the walls from first glance. Dream wouldn't've been surprised if they were actually floating.

Wilbur climbed up a ladder onto the highest bed, with Tommy behind him. With a great leap, Tommy landed on the bed below Wilbur’s. Techno situated himself on the bed that was at the very bottom, pressed simply against the wall. 

“Would you like me to educate you on the kingdoms? I am quite the expert,” Tommy said with a boastful smile. 

Dream smirked, “Sure, why not.” Tommy went on a long ramble that was so fast Dream could barely process what he was saying. Tubbo walked over to Dream and handed him light grey bed sheets, gesturing towards a mattress which was laying right underneath the bed that was beside Tommy’s. 

“The bed above yours is mine, by the way.” Tubbo said with a smile. Dream thanked him and turned to the mattress, making his bed. 

“So, yeah. I told you I knew a lot.” Tommy finished. Dream chuckled. He had caught literally nothing of what Tommy had said. 

The boys all got situated in their beds. Techno had quietly offered Dream some pajamas, and Dream agreed faster than he could even think about it. He was desperate to get out of the clothes he had originally woken up in, and Techno’s pajamas were soft (though ever so slightly big on Dream). 

Tommy and Tubbo were not-so quietly discussing something that Dream didn’t bother to pay attention to, Wilbur was watching the two with a small smile, and Techno was reading a book. 

“Hey, Dream,” Wilbur called down from his bunk. 

Dream looked up, “Yeah?” 

“Are you gonna take the mask off?” 

Dream didn’t even notice that the half-mask was still on his face. He was laying in bed, and the mask somehow didn’t cause any discomfort. He reached up behind his head to take the mask off, and his mind screamed for him not to. He retracted his hand and laid his head back down. He didn’t know why, but the thought of removing his mask around these people made his heart beat fast. 

“Do you not want to? What, do you have some totally gross scar across your face?” Tommy said with a grin. 

“I...I actually don’t know. I haven’t looked at myself yet,” Dream said. The room fell quiet. Dream hadn’t even thought of the fact that he hadn't seen his face yet. He can’t even remember what he looks like. The fact fills him with dread. 

“If you don’t want to take your mask off that’s okay!” Tubbo calls from above. “But surely it’s uncomfortable to sleep with it on, yeah?” Tommy counters. Dream sighs. Now that he’s recognized the mask’s existence again, he’s hyper aware of its presence on his face.

“If I take it off, will you promise not to peek at my face?” Dream says. The thought of anyone seeing his face sent off so many alarms in his head, for reasons Dream didn’t know.

“Of course man!” Tommy says. The tone of his voice said something very different. Dream bit his lip and slowly took the mask off his face anyway, he just turned to face away from his roommates and towards the door. For extra precaution, he covered his head with the covers. His face finally breathes, and it feels nice to take the mask off.

As Tubbo and Tommy’s chatter dies down and Techno blows out the candle in his lantern, the room falls into a comfortable silence. 

Dream hears a faint “G’night!” from Tubbo, which his three brothers all return. Dream thinks he says something, but he can’t tell, as his mind is quickly taken over by fatigue and the need to sleep. He closes his eyes and lets his mind wander. 

Dream’s on the beach again. He’s sitting up and looking at the waves as they crash. He feels someone’s presence beside him and looks to his side. There sits someone Dream can’t recognize. Their features are blurry, and Dream can’t focus on any of their specific features.

They open their mouth and say something, but it sounds like they're underwater. Dream asks them to repeat what they said, but no sound escapes his lips. 

They keep talking, the sound of their drowned voice flooding Dream’s ears, drowning out the sound of the waves. 

Dream asks them to stop talking, to quiet down, nothing. 

He’s practically screaming for them to stop talking. 

Dream wakes up on the mattress under Tubbo's bed. All he sees is white sheets, and he scrambles to find his mask beside him, putting it onto his face and sitting up. The sun is peeking out from behind the trees and the sky shines a light pink, streaming into the room from the window. 

Techno’s bed is vacant, yet neatly made. Looking up, Tommy is still in bed, his blonde hair peeking out from under the blankets. Wilbur’s out of bed as well, but his bed is not nearly as neatly made as Techno’s is. Dream shifts out of the covers and begins to make his bed, folding the covers as quietly as he can so as to not wake Tommy and Tubbo, who are both lightly snoring. 

Dream can hear pots and pans clanging downstairs, and light chatter. He grabs his folded clothes from the corner of the room and heads to the bathroom, he wouldn’t want to risk changing in the room while Tommy and Tubbo are there. 

Phil had told him where the bathroom is the night prior, but Dream hadn’t entered it yet. He opened the door and walked in, looking at himself in the mirror. His hair’s a dirty blonde. Interesting. Hesitantly, Dream reaches behind his head and unclicks his mask, taking it off his face. 

Green eyes meet green eyes. Dream’s skin is pale and dusted lightly with freckles. There’s a small pink scar on his nose, but it looks like it’s fading. Suddenly, Dream remembers this. He looks at all his features, and all of it makes sense. He knew how he looked. But he didn’t before. 

It was all so confusing, and even slightly overwhelming. How did he not know what he looked like? How does he actually know what he looks like when he’s not supposed to and couldn’t even remember before? He fastens his mask back on and turns to his clothes. He didn’t want to think about his memory loss right now. 

After changing, Dream headed downstairs and into the kitchen. Phil and Techno were cooking something, while Wilbur was on the couch plucking at his guitar. “Ah, Dream! You’re up!” Phil said warmly. 

Dream smiled, “Yeah, good morning!” The three others returned it. 

“Did you sleep well?” Phil asks, not looking up from whatever he was cooking. Dream ponders the question for a moment, before making a sound of affirmation. He technically did sleep well. He slept and now he felt rested. That qualifies as a good sleep, right? How would he know, when he couldn’t even remember what he looked like? The dream he had wasn’t good. He certainly did not like it. But otherwise, he slept fine. Phil gave Dream a look, but when they met eyes he glanced back down at the food he was preparing. 

Dream walked over to the couch and quietly asked Wilbur if he could sit beside him, to which Wilbur said 

“Yeah yeah, of course.” Dream watched Wilbur strum a few chords on his guitar before blurting out, 

“You’re really good.”

Wilbur smiled sheepishly, “A-ah. Thanks.” 

Awkward silence ensued. Dream wasn’t a fan of silence, and he had a feeling he never has been. He doesn’t like loud noises, either. Dream feels like he knows, or knowed, someone who also hated silence. But, Dream doesn’t really know anyone besides Phil’s family, so he pushes the deja vu down. 

“Will, Dream, could you two go wake up the sleeping pair?” Phil calls from the kitchen. Wilbur groans, but he sets his guitar aside and stands up, gesturing for Dream to follow him. The two walk upstairs in silence. Dream found Wilbur to be interesting, and he wanted to get along with him. Dream wanted to get along with the whole family, as he’d be staying with them for a while. 

The two enter the bedroom and Wilbur smirks. He leans down and picks up a stuffed bee, which seems to have fallen off of Tubbo’s bunk.

“Watch this,” He says to Dream with a grin. Winding up and taking a few steps back, Wilbur lets out a cry Dream could only describe as one of war. He throws the stuffed bee full throttle at Tommy’s now awake face. 

“What the fuck was that-” Tommy is quickly cut off by the stuffed bee colliding with his face. Tubbo immediately sits up and breaks into laughs, followed by Dream Wilbur and Techno. The room is filled with laughter and an angry Tommy shouting swears. 

The group walk down the stairs (Wilbur more or less falls down, as Tommy gets his inevitable revenge by pushing him) and enter the kitchen, where Phil instructs them to sit around the table. Dream ends up sitting between Techno and Phil, and though he is glad to be beside Phil, being so close to Techno makes him nervous. Techno seems void of all emotion practically all the time, so he was impossible to read. Dream had a sort of subconscious fear that Techno was judging him.

Phil and Techno had created a sort of mix of sunny-side up eggs and fried potato chunks. Though it looked strange, Dream could not deny that it was very good. The table was silent beside the clinking of utensils as everyone stuffed their faces. Tommy was the first to finish, but his mouth was still full. 

“Techno, that was shit,” Tommy says, swallowing. Wilbur snorts beside him, and Techno glares. 

“Okay, come on now, I helped make that!” Phil says. His tone is stern, but he’s grinning. Tommy shrugs carelessly, and Tubbo laughs. Dream finds himself grinning. 

Soon enough, everyone had finished, and were all giving their praise to Techno and Phil.   
“Dream’s gonna be working in the fields with us right?” Tommy asks as he takes his plate to the sink. Dream looks to Phil. He’d understand if Phil wanted him working, honestly, Dream would feel bad about staying at the farm without repaying the family. But, Phil shakes his head. 

“Not today. Nor will I, I want to talk with Dream for a bit today.” 

That naturally made Dream a little nervous. He wasn’t sure what Phil wanted to talk about, as he hadn’t really had a conversation with the man since the previous night. Techno groaned and Tommy shouted protests. “

“Boys, boys! He’ll be working in the fields tomorrow! I just want to talk to him in private, that's all.”

Techno, Wilbur, Tommy and Tubbo all left the house and went off to the fields, talking amongst themselves, while Phil and Dream followed them but further behind. 

“We’re just gonna walk around the gardens, so they can’t hear us,” Phil says, and Dream nods. As the field that the brothers were working in disappears behind the fruit trees, Phil begins to speak.

“Is there anything you know about our society? Like the kingdoms?” Dream shakes his head, 

“Tommy tried to explain it to me last night, but I could barely understand a word of what he said.” Phil chuckles. 

“Alright, let me explain. In the world, there are several different kingdoms and their countries.”

“With Kings and Queens?”

“Yes. We live in a country under the rule of a monarchy right now.” Phil goes on about the names of countries and kings and queens and Dream does his best to pay attention. 

“...That is our queen. And then there is her son, Prince George.”

Dream stops in his tracks.

“Dream?” Phil asks, his voice full of concern as he takes a few steps back and places a gentle hand on Dream’s shoulder. 

“I……” Dream’s mind is swimming. “Prince George” brought back a wave of emotions, all varying from incredible to horrible. He almost feels like he remembers. 

“I know who that is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope you liked this chapter! i like writing family dynamics, but sometimes I get a little bit lost when it comes to dialogue. again, you can find me on twitter at @T0BYTHEWORLD! kudos and comments are always appreciated <3


	4. Faces

“I know who that is,” Dream says, his voice shaky. 

Phil’s eyes widened. “You remember Prince George?” 

“N-No I...I don’t. But I feel like I do. I knew him.” Dream places a hand on his head as he feels a coming headache. “I feel like I’m supposed to remember him. He was important to me.” 

Phil bites his lip before ushering Dream back towards the direction of the house. “I’ll show you a picture of him and you can tell me if you remember him, okay?” Dream nods, his head throbbing. 

Once back in the house, Dream plops down onto the couch. Phil dips into the kitchen and returns with another mug of tea, before vanishing again and saying something about needing to find a book. The tea soothes Dream’s headache, but his mind still feels like it's going a hundred miles an hour. Prince George. Who is he and why did I react that way to hearing his name? 

Phil returns after what feels like an eternity, holding a brown leather bound book. He opens it and flips a few pages before reaching a page titled “The Royal Family” in big letters.

“This book is a few years old, but as far as I’m aware, the Prince’s face honestly never changes.” Phil says with a chuckle. He points to a picture of a young man. His hair is dark brown, almost as dark as Tubbo’s, and the same with his eyes. There’s a silver crown perched on his head. His lips are parted into a half smile which looks awfully forced. 

Dream’s headache returns. 

Phil furrows his brow and stares at the picture of the prince while Dream aggressively chugs tea. “I didn’t expect this kind of reaction. You didn’t react this way to any of the other members of the royal family, so you had to have had some sort of relationship with the Prince. Do you think you were royalty?”

“Judging based on the way you described the royal family, I feel like there would be much more of a panic if I was royalty,” Dream responds, before returning to his tea. 

“The farm is hidden, only elites know about its location and are only supposed to come in case of emergency or business.”

“Would a royal going missing be considered an emergency?”

“You’re not in the family though, otherwise I think I’d recognize a ‘Dream’.” Phil turns to face Dream. “I hate to ask you this but...could you take off your mask for me?”

Sirens go off in Dream’s head again, which just feels like hell accompanied with his headache. 

“I just need to see if I can recognize you. That’d tell me if you were an elite or not.” Dream bites his lip. He knows that this is really important, that it could tell him more about who he is, but the thought is terrifying. Absolutely terrifying.

Phil opens his mouth to say something, but Dream reaches behind his head and takes off his mask. 

He looks dead at Phil, who seems to be analyzing every inch of Dream’s face with utmost attentiveness. Dream feels strangely violated. 

Phil sighs. “I have never ever seen you before.” Dream is thankful he can put his mask back on now, but he feels his heart sink. That doesn’t help with anything. Dream’s still lost, and the name George is still reverbing in his head. 

Phil stands and walks off with the book. “It seems like you’ll be accompanying me and Will to the city.” 

“W-What?”

“Will and I go to the city after we harvest to sell crops at the market. I can probably get an audience with the King, Queen, and Prince. I think you need to meet George in person.” Dream goes quiet. In person. Why did that idea scare him so much? Why did it feel unsafe? 

“Okay.” Dream says, and Phil nods.

“In a few days we’ll be leaving. Sounds good?” Dream nods and downs the rest of his tea. 

Phil sent Dream upstairs to lay down in hopes that would soothe his pounding head, and Dream spent what felt like a couple of hours laying on the mattress, drifting in and out of what felt like consciousness. His head would soothe, but he’d close his eyes and see the dorky picture of Prince George and then be sent back to his own personal hell. Sleep, Dream begged himself, Please just sleep. 

He felt consciousness slip through his fingers like sand as he fell asleep, thanking his mind for allowing him peace. Or so he thought. Dream opened his eyes to the sound of waves crashing. He was on the beach yet again. 

He groaned, preparing himself for another sensory onslaught from a featureless person, but when he looked to his side, he saw the Prince sitting beside him. Instead of a headache, Dream felt waves of nostalgia overcome him. He felt like he’s been here before. Sitting beside George like this. He just can’t remember it.

“Welcome back.” George says, brown eyes flicking to look over at Dream. George’s voice echoed in Dream’s head, and made so many emotions spill out.

“Back.” Dream echoes, looking at George’s face with wide eyes. “You were here with me last time, right?” 

George shakes his head. He’s curled up in a ball, with his head in his arms and looking straight at Dream. “That wasn’t me.” 

Dream looked out at the ocean, the purple waves lapped at the bright yellow sand. “Why do you look so scared? Nothing will hurt you while I’m here.” George says, raising his head. Dream is at loss for words, and he can’t tell if it’s because the dream won't let him speak, or if he just isn’t processing what is happening. 

Suddenly, Dream feels a warmth envelop his hand, and he looks down to see George snake his fingers through Dream’s own. “Safe.” George repeats, a small smile crossing his face. “Just like we used to.”

“I’m sorry for what I did.” Dream says, but not out of his own will. Sorry? For what? How was he talking? George frowns and looks out to the ocean, chin resting on his hand.

“Let’s not talk about it. Let me be here with you.” George’s words echo off of the waves, varying in volume, and the sound grows overwhelming. Dream reaches to cover his ears, but his hand won’t move from George’s. 

He opens his eyes to the feeling of a pillow behind his head, and the view of a wooden bunk above him. 

“Are you awake?” A not-so quiet voice calls into the room. Dream sits up slightly and tears a hand through his hair

“Yep.” Tommy enters the room, concern spelled out on his face. Dream had never seen Tommy this way. 

“Dadza said you had a headache.” Dream nods and Tommy bites his lip. Tommy strides over to where Dream is laying and places a plate of food beside him. “You missed lunch and dinner.”

Dream pauses. “Lunch and dinner? How long have I been asleep?” Tommy shrugs and steals a carrot slice off Dream’s plate. 

“I dunno when you went to bed, but it’s a little past sunset now.” Dream’s jaw dropped. That dream felt so short, he thought he had only been sleeping for a few minutes. Tommy plops down onto the bed beside Dream, stealing another carrot slice. Dream realizes that the curtains on the window were drawn. Although they were thin, they still dimmed the room quite a lot, and left all the sun shining on the back of Tommy’s head, illuminating his blonde hair and giving him a halo. Dream found it ironic, Tommy looked like an angel with the sun hitting his hair like that, but he was stealing all of Dream’s food. 

“Who closed the curtains?” Dream asks groggily, sitting up more and shifting the plate onto his lap as Tommy reached for Dream’s bread.

“Techno. He came upstairs to get something, n’ he said that you had murmured something about it being too bright.” Dream’s cheeks flushed. He vaguely remembered trying to fall asleep, the bright morning sun hitting his eyes and making him feel hot. He thought he had just spoken into the empty room, and the sudden darkness following his statement was just him blacking out. Dream made a mental note to thank Techno later. 

“You gotta eat, big man. You are letting me take all of this and it’s kinda sad,” Tommy said, pushing the plate closer to Dream. Tommy stood and walked out of the room, but he paused in the doorway. “Everybody’s downstairs. Worried sick about you. Come downstairs if you wanna.” Dream thanked him, and Tommy gave a slight wave goodbye as he vanished down the hall and down the stairs.

Worried sick, huh? Dream thinks to himself, looking down at the food in his lap. I don’t think anyone’s ever been worried for me before. Suddenly, he remembered George’s face. Even though it was just his imagination, the concern in the Prince’s features looked so real. The warmth that was George's hands left Dream’s own feeling cold and empty. Dream shivered and focused on his food, using the fork Tommy left him. 

I wonder how I remembered his voice, I haven’t heard it. Not since before I lost my memory, I’d assume. Dream shoved lettuce into his mouth and chewed slowly. There’s no way memory loss works this way. It just doesn’t feel logical. Shushing his mind, Dream ate for a few minutes in silence. He didn’t want to think too hard and end up bedridden again. 

After he finished, he got up off his bed and started downstairs. He heard chatter and laughter, and came downstairs to see the whole family gathered in the living room, quietly talking with smiles on their faces. Tubbo noticed him first and grinned, and slowly everyone else turned to look at Dream.

“Feelin’ any better?” Techno asks, a small smile on his face. Dream nodded and swerved into the kitchen, placing his dirty dishes in the sink. Tubbo pats the spot next to him on the couch and Dream sits. Phil was seated in a large chair, with Techno in a similar one across from him. Will was seated in a bean bag across from the couch, while Tommy sat on Tubbo’s opposite side. 

“Philza told us about Prince George,” Wilbur says, Dream winces ever so slightly at the name, bracing himself for a headache, but nothing happens. Wilbur notices the cringe. “I think you’ll like the city. It’s very pretty,” He smiles, and Dream returns it. 

“No headache at the name?” Phil asks, bringing a mug to his mouth. Dream shakes his head.

“I actually dreamt of the Prince.”

Everyone gives him a shared look that urges Dream to elaborate. 

“It’s actually been a recurring dream I’ve been having. I’m sitting on the beach that I woke up on yesterday, and it’s sunset. The water’s purple. The first time I had that dream, there was someone beside me, but I couldn’t tell who it was. They were saying something, but I couldn’t tell what. And then this time, the person beside me was Prince George,” Dream explained, and everyone seemed to ponder the meaning of the dreams.

“I’d assume you couldn’t hear his voice either?” Techno asked with an eyebrow raise. 

“Actually, no. I could hear George’s voice and I….I know that it was his. He didn’t sound like any of you, and in my head I just knew that it was his voice.” Silence, wide eyes from everyone in the room. 

“So you remember his voice…” Phil says, the rest of his statement trailing off into his thoughts.

“That’s not how memory loss works,” Wilbur said, his chin propped in his hand, deep in thought. 

“I was thinking just the same thing.” Philza looks up at Dream, his brow furrowed. “I think we’re dealing with a lot more than a case of amnesia.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi! hope you liked this chapter!!! my updates might be a little slower as i have quite a bit of school work to do, and after reading and rereading the chapters i already have finished for this, I have new ideas that might help strengthen the plot. thank you so much for reading! if you have any theories, drop them, we're getting to interesting bits <3


	5. The Calm Before

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi everyone!!! hope you all enjoy this update :) its a little on the longer end (i think, i haven't averaged the amount of words in each chapter yet) and all pure fluff and fun. you guys can peep all my slight references to real things that have happened both in and outside of the dream smp haha! my english tutor has helped a bunch, hopefully you will see improvement throughout the following chapters. anyway, enjoy!

Dream feels himself stiffen. “More than amnesia? What do you mean?” 

“I mean,” Phil says, standing, “That someone has wiped your memory.” 

The room falls into an extremely uncomfortable silence. Maybe that's why the mere thought of Dream’s mind being probed makes him feel sick. 

Dream feverishly plays with his hoodie strings. “Is there any way for us to know? Can I get my memories back?” 

Phil walks over to a bookcase and everyone watches him. “It depends, for both your questions. Strong magic users can hide any traces of a mind probe. And for retrieving your memories, that completely depends on how well they’ve been buried. There’s no way to steal memories from someone, but there is a way to suppress them.” 

Philza grabs a book off the shelf and returns to his armchair. Everyone immediately gets up and crowds around the chair to peer into the book. “It’s difficult to erase any trace of a mental probe in one’s brain, but it's definitely not impossible. The thing that confuses me is that Dream’s been getting headaches. That might be an indicator of a poorly done job at suppressing his memories,” Phil points to different paragraphs in the book that explain what he’s talking about. “But, if they didn’t cover their traces, Dream would be able to tell more.”

“Well, whenever you mention probing my mind I feel sick,” Dream tries, but Philza shakes his head. 

“That means nothing. Headaches, nausea, those are all just symptoms of strong prods at your memory. You’ve probably been threatened with a mental probe before.” Threatened with a mental probe. Dream audibly gagged and Techno winced. “See?” Phil sighs, “I knew it.” 

“What I don’t understand is why they did the hard work of covering their traces, but not actually heavily suppressing your memories. It’s almost like they didn’t expect you to try and figure out your past,” Philza’s eyes scan a paragraph in the book, before he turns several pages. Suddenly, Wilbur freezes.

“Dream, you know nothing about your past, right?”

Dream nods, “Yeah, nothing.” 

“Do you think you had enemies?”

Dream stops. Enemies? He pauses. He expects to feel the emptiness in his head, as he normally feels when he tries to think about his past. But the word “enemies” makes his mind fill with a sort of fog. Fear. “I…”

All eyes in the room are on Dream. There’s silence. Wilbur speaks again. “Were there people who wanted to do you harm?” 

The fog in Dream’s mind grows thicker. He feels himself shiver. 

_Enemies. Mind Probes. Threats._

“Dream? You’re shaking.” A gentle hand touches Dream’s shoulder, and he looks down to see Tubbo. 

Phil turns to glare at Wilbur, who raises both of his hands. “I was just trying to help!” 

“How was that helping?” Phil says sternly, crossing his arms.

“I just wanted to see if it’d trigger a reaction, like with Prince George. Maybe….maybe Dream had some people who didn’t like him in his life. Maybe they didn’t expect him to last long enough to be able to figure out what happened to his memories.” Wilbur says nervously, hand on the back of his neck.

Dream hugs himself tightly, and Phil narrows his eyes at Wilbur, muttering something. “Hey, come on. I can make you tea like Dadza always does when you don’t feel well!” Tubbo says, tugging on Dream’s sleeves and pulling him towards the kitchen. 

Dream stands behind Tubbo as the brunette heats up a kettle on the stove, humming to himself. He feels horrible. He was shivering and felt cold all over, and just felt incredibly dependent. This felt wrong. Everything felt wrong. He put himself into some random family’s life, and now they were dealing with his incredibly strange predicament and making him tea to soothe him hourly. 

Dream was brought back from his thoughts by Tubbo shoving a warm cup into his hand. “There you go. I made myself some too,” Tubbo says, showing Dream his forest green mug. Dream smiles, and genuinely. He feels warmer. 

When he comes back to the living room, Wilbur immediately apologizes, and Dream sits through the several “I’m sorry”’s before telling Wilbur that he understood, and everything was okay. The family was at peace once more. 

They sat back in their old seats and talked quietly, joking occasionally. Eventually, Phil yawned and Tommy leaned his head onto Tubbo’s shoulder, closing his eyes. “Maybe it’s time to resign? Eventful day today!” Phil says with a smile, standing up from his armchair. 

“I call dibs on the bathroom.” Techno says nonchalantly, and a chorus of groans erupt from everyone except for Phil, who laughs.

Techno lets out a sarcastic laugh. “Fools!” He says with a toothy grin, and dashed upstairs.

Dream was awake for most of the night, as his prior nap re-energized him quite a bit. He resorted to simply laying on his back and staring at the bottom of Tubbo’s bunk, thinking. There was quite a bit Dream could think about. He wasn’t even sure if he wanted to go to bed, he’d probably just find himself at the beach again. He didn’t want to see another faceless figure.

Or George.

He really didn’t want to see George.

“Hey!” Dream looked up to where the hushed voice came from to see Tommy leaned over the edge of his bunk, a wide grin slapped across his face. 

“Why aren’t you sleeping?” Dream whispered. The three other boys were all asleep, the last thing he wanted was for them all to wake up, cause a ruckus and wake up Phil in the process.

“Can’t sleep,” Tommy whispers back. 

“You too?” Tommy nods in response to Dream’s question, and his smile somehow grows even wider. 

“Wanna go out for a walk?”

“In the middle of the night?” 

“Best time to walk if you ask me.”

A walk to clear his head did sound nice, but that would require changing into clothes. It was far too cold to walk out in just pajamas.

“I call dibs on changing first.” Dream says with a smile, and Tommy groans, making Dream whisper-wheeze. 

“Fine fine, you go. I’ll wake up Tubbo,” Tommy says, and he seems to ready himself to pounce onto Tubbo’s bunk. 

“What?! No Tommy, stop! If you wake Tubbo up you’ll end up waking everyone up,” Dream says, his voice a whisper yell.

“Well, it won’t be fun without Tubbo.” Tommy whispers firmly, and Dream shoots him a glare. 

“Just me or no one.”

“You’re not my dad!” 

“I can get your dad if it comes to that.” Tommy rolls his eyes and waves Dream off. 

“Fine, whatever. Go change.” 

Dream snatches his clothes from the corner of the room and makes a deal with himself to change as quickly as possible, as to not give Tommy time to wake up Tubbo while he’s gone. When Dream comes back to the room, he’s pleased to see Tommy standing by himself, with the three other boys still fast asleep. Tommy was also changed into his regular attire.

“You got dressed in the room?” Dream asks as they quietly sneak down the stairs. 

Tommy shrugs, “They’re my brothers. Worst they’ll do is make fun of me.” 

Dream breathes in deeply as the pair step out of the house and onto the stone pathway, sighing as he feels an invisible weight falls off his shoulders. When he glances at Tommy, the boy is closing his eyes in the breeze.

“Where do you wanna walk to?” Dream asks, glad he doesn’t have to whisper anymore. 

“Just around!” Tommy says, stretching his hands upward with a yawn.

The duo walk around the farm for a bit in silence (which is rare when it comes to Tommy), both evidently thinking about their own things. As they walk around the other side of the fruit tree orchard, Tommy speaks. 

“You’ll be harvesting with us today, right?” Dream nods, before pausing. 

“Wait-today? What time is it?”

“Well,” Tommy points up at the sky, illuminated by the bright moon, “Judging by the moon’s placement in the sky, it’s like, four in the morning? Maybe five. Probably five.” Dream’s shoulders sag at the idea of working on practically no sleep and Tommy laughs. “Head up, man! It’s not as bad as you think. There’s barely any work left to do today, just harvesting the last of the fruits and getting them into packaging for tomorrow.” 

That’s right- Dream, Wilbur and Philza were going to the city the day after tomorrow. Dream tries to imagine the city, but his mind is blank. He’s not really sure what cities are supposed to look like. Maybe a castle? And lots of buildings crowded together? 

“Have you been to the city?” Dream asks Tommy, hoping that he could answer the older’s question.

“Yeah, plenty of times! It’s cool there. The castle where the royals live it at the center, and around it are all of the houses and shops and shit, and then there's a giant wall surrounding it all.” Dream pictures the city in his mind, and for the first time, he hopes for a headache. But nothing comes. His mind is completely blank.

“Can you remember anything like that?” Tommy says, his eyes gleaming with slight hope. Dream shakes his head, and Tommy emits a small sound of disappointment. 

They walk around in silence for a bit before Tommy points up a hill, a little ways ahead of them. “See that bench up there? Me and Tubbo go there all the time, it’s our spot. I can take you up there, if ya want.” 

Dream raises an eyebrow. Normally, anything Tommy shared with Tubbo he was absolutely unwilling to share with anyone else. Including benches. But he agrees anyway, the moon was lowering and the sky was growing lighter. That spot on the hill looked like a great place to watch the sunrise. 

“It’s Tubbo and I, by the way. You said it wrong.” Dream says as they walk up the hill. 

Tommy scoffs, “You talk a lot of shit for a guy who can’t remember anything.” Dream laughs the rest of the way up the hill, and Tommy joins him.

The two sit down on the bench and sigh, breathless from both the climb and how hard they both laughed. Something catches Dream’s eye, and he points to it. It’s a strange looking box, it has a wide slit in the top and a pattern of openings on the sides. “What’s that?”

Tommy looks to it, “Oh, my jukebox! You put discs into the top and it plays music.” Tommy leans over the side of the bench and pulls two discs out, admiring them.

Dream reaches for one, and Tommy immediately moves away. “Nope!” The blonde narrows his eyes at Dream, “I don’t trust you with these.” Dream wheezes and Tommy puts the discs away from wherever he got them. 

So the two sit in silence, watching the sun rise over the trees. “Do you come here a lot with Tubbo?” Dream asks, not looking away from the sunset.

“Yeah, I do. Not for sunrises though. The motherfucker loves to sleep in.” Dream finds himself wheezing again and Tommy smiles, showing all his teeth. 

As the sky turns more blue, Tommy stands up and stretches. “Race you back down!” He shouts, catapulting himself down the hill. 

Dream doesn’t even have a moment to process the race, but he grins. He didn’t know he was this competitive. Dream nearly trips several times, gaining momentum as he practically throws himself off the hill. His legs stopped working to propel him forwards, and started working more to keep him from falling flat on his face. He zooms by Tommy, who shouts. 

Dream slows down as he reaches the bottom of the hill and holds onto a tree, leaning over his knees. He chuckles airily, breathing deeply. Tommy eventually joins him beside the tree, panting. “That…..That wasn’t fair!” Tommy said, barely choking his words out through gasps. 

Dream laughs, “You owe me now!” 

“What?! We never agreed to that!”

“Oh come on Tommy, I know that if I had lost you would’ve pushed your evil little agenda onto me.” Tommy sputters over his words angrily, and Dream laughed although breathless. 

“I don’t understand how you won! It was rigged, it had to be!”

“Nah, it wasn’t. My legs are just longer since I’m an adult and you’re not.”

_“We’re the same height!”_

-

The two entered the house, bickering playfully, until they realized how quiet it was. Phil was sitting in his usual armchair, a book in his hands. He looked up and raised an eyebrow. “And where did you two run off to?”

“We went to the hill,” Tommy said, still slightly breathless. Phil opened his mouth to say something, but the two blondes made a beeline for the kitchen, pouring themselves glasses of water and promptly downing them. Phil sighed, although he was smiling.

“Ah! Dream, by the way!” Phil called from his arm chair, and Dream made a noise to tell Phil that he was listening as he chugged water. “I got an audience with the prince for tomorrow.” 

Right. The prince. 

Dream had been so caught up fooling around with Tommy, his mind had been successfully taken off of the looming possibilities for tomorrow. But, he’d have to acknowledge the reality at some point. Tomorrow, he’d be talking to the prince, and tomorrow, he’d find out if it's for the first time or not. 

Dream finishes his water and forces a smile at Philza. “Thank you so so much.” Dream’s thanks weren’t faked, he really was grateful. The royal family sounded so prestigious, it must take a lot of effort to get an audience with any of them. Phil had taken him straight to the top when it came to information, sparing Dream the trouble. But, there was a weight in his stomach. It didn’t feel safe to see George, it didn’t feel safe to enter the city period. Dream swallowed the feeling, though. This was important. More important than a feeling. 

Phil smiles back at Dream, “You’re welcome,” He says warmly. Tommy ushers Dream back upstairs, where they find Tubbo, Techno and Wilbur slowly awakening. Tubbo yawns and stretches, then acknowledging Dream and Tommy.

“Where’d you two go?” Techno asks groggily, rubbing his eyes.

“To the hill,” Tommy says proudly, “I told you guys I’m capable of getting up early.”

“Don’t give yourself that kind of grace, Tommy. You just couldn’t sleep.” Dream says with a grin, making Wilbur and Tubbo laugh and Techno smile. Tommy crosses his arms, his prior smile dropping into an exaggerated frown.

“You’ve been coming after me all morning, Dream! I’m sick of it!” Tommy shouts.

Wilbur hops off of his bunk, landing on his feet and causing a loud thump that startled everyone in the room. “Dream’s a part of the family now,” He says dramatically, and Dream laughs. He knows he shouldn’t take Wilbur’s words too seriously, but as he heads downstairs, laughing in chorus with the other four, he truly did feel like a part of the family.

-

Dream weaved through the fruit tree orchard, looking for the peach trees. Tommy said they were a little further ahead, but Dream feels like he’s been walking for at least thirty minutes and all he sees are the now barren apple trees. Dream assumes this is a prank, Tommy’s way of getting back at him. 

Dream turns around and yells, “Tommy! I literally don’t see a single peach tree. Are you sure this is the right way?” 

Silence. Definitely a prank. A prank Tubbo was probably in on as well. Despite Tubbo’s kind and non-threatening demeanor, they loved pranks. With Techno and Wilbur in the sweetcorn field, Dream was practically lost. 

He sighed and continued forward. The orchard wasn’t that big, so eventually he’d come to either the end or another field. Or maybe peaches. Christ, why was he still hopeful that there’d be peaches? Dream grumbled aloud. 

It was midafternoon, and the sun was hitting as hard as it could. The late September heat threatened to roast Dream and his green hoodie alive. It was far too hot for the last day of the month, and far too hot to be dressed to warm, even if the hoodie was light. Dream seriously hated every wardrobe decision his past self had ever made on the day he lost his memory. 

Dream spotted the end of the orchard ahead and dashed to it, and straight into a strawberry field. _Shit, Phil said the strawberries were on the complete other side from the peaches._ Dream thinks to himself. The plan was to get strawberries last, as they were closest to the farmhouse, but while Dream was there, he might as well. 

Dream knelt down into the dirt, sticking his hand into the bush and ripping strawberries off the stems and into one of the smaller baskets he was carrying. After a few minutes of picking, Dream’s hands were already beginning to stain red with the strawberry juice that seeped off the berries. Same with his jeans, which he subconsciously rubbed his hands on every now and then. Whoops. 

A loud, familiar laugh fills Dream’s ears, and he stands up so fast his knees hurt. Tommy and Tubbo laughed in harmony as they walked towards the strawberry field, and as soon as they saw the masked man they started laughing more. 

“TOMMY!” Dream shouts, exaggerating his anger as much as possible. Tommy flinches, but his smile never leaves his face. Dream grabs his strawberry basket and storms over to where Tommy and Tubbo were standing. “It wasn’t even a good prank!”

“Lies! It was so funny, hearing you shout from the other side of the field, o-oh my god…” Tommy says, and in his last few words he doubles over with laughter, clutching his stomach.

“It was awesome!” Tubbo says with a grin.

Dream rolls his eyes, but then suddenly smiles and laughs himself. “Tommy! You still owe me!” 

The smile could not fall off of Tommy’s face faster. “I do not! I abso-fucking-lutely do not! I never agreed to this!” Tommy shouts, his voice speeding up. Tubbo only laughs harder, and so does Dream.

“No way! No way, you totally do!”

“Listen here you green, masked, son of a bitch-” Tommy starts, and Dream hollers with laughter, drowning out what Tommy says next. 

Next thing Tommy knew, he was being dragged by Dream back to the peach fields. “Tubbo, how dare you.” Tommy says, his voice full of mock hurt. Tubbo only grins in response. 

Dream lets go of Tommy’s wrist once they reach the fields, and promptly shoves a basket into his arms. “Up you go.”

Tommy’s shouts of profanities turn into grumbles as he climbs up the tree and picks peaches off and into his basket. At one point, a peach rolls out of his basket and onto the ground. Dream snorts, and is met with a peach to the forehead. Tubbo laughs, “Wow Tommy, your aim has improved!”

Tommy does his classic laugh, “Thank you, Big T!”

Once the trio returns to the house, slightly misshapen from rough-housing their entire walk back, they find that Techno, Wilbur and Philza had gone home early. Tommy is immediately on Techno’s case.

“In my defense, you three just sounded like you were having so much fun in the peach field, we left you to it.” He says, nonchalantly, and Tommy pinches the bridge of his nose, muttering insults. 

“Not as much fun as Techno was having in the potato fields though. We had to practically drag him away by his feet.” Phil jokes, and Will laughed. 

They have a quick dinner, full of jokes and playfully jabbing at one another. Dream falls victim to several headache jokes, and is called a senior citizen multiple times by Wilbur. 

Eventually, they all head upstairs for the night. Before Dream heads upstairs, Phil stops him. “We’re gonna be up pretty early, so I recommend you get some sleep. It’s quite the long ride to the city, and you’ll want to be awake and ready, alright?” Dream nods and thanks him, and Phil disappears into his room. 

When Dream enters the room, he finds Wilbur with a pillow wrapped around his head, shouting for Tommy and Tubbo to stop their obnoxious piano duet. “Please just go the fuck to bed!” 

Dream chuckles and collapses into bed, tucking a hand behind his neck and closing his eyes behind his mask. 

Eventually, Tubbo and Tommy yawn and their playing slows. Tubbo leans his head on Tommy’s shoulder, fingers barely grazing the piano keys. Tommy groans. “Get up, I am not carrying you up the ladder and throwing you into your bunk.” Tubbo makes a noise, but eventually the pair get up. Dream hears the creaking of the ladder as they climb, and the soft sounds the covers make as the two leap into bed and cover themselves.

A chorus of goodnights echo around the room. Dream turns on his side and takes off his mask, covering his head with the blankets.

Techno blows out the lantern, and the room goes dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i really hope you liked this one! hopefully i didn't let you down when i said it'd be fluffy haha,,, family dynamics are always fun. enjoy this fluff, this chapter is named the way it is for a reason ;) per usual, comments, kudos and theories are always appreciated, as well as any tips! im always looking to improve. see you all next time <3


	6. The Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is only the beginning.

Dream is woken up by a firm shake to the shoulder and a deep voice gently whispering his name. He opens his eyes groggily, expecting to be met with the same blank white of the sheets per usual, but instead, he sees a face.

It takes a moment for the panic to set in. 

Wilbur is standing above Dream, gently shaking his shoulder, a hand firmly covering his own eyes. Dream can definitely tell that Wilbur can’t see a thing through his hand, as his free hand is placed at a weird and uncomfortable angle on Dream’s upper arm. Despite knowing that Wilbur cannot see his bare face, Dream panics and scrambles for his mask, fastening the metal clasp behind his head as fast as he can. 

“Can I uncover my eyes now?” Wilbur whispers, his head still angled to where Dream used to be. Dream made a noise of affirmation, and Wilbur dropped his hand. “I promise I didn’t see anything!” He says, his voice still hushed. 

Dream smiles, “It’s okay-I believe you. Thank you for not looking,” He whispers back. Dream was genuinely thankful that Wilbur didn’t take advantage of Dream and take a peek at his face. Dream can’t even begin to think of what he’d do if anyone had seen what he looks like. 

“Everyone else is still asleep- it’s barely sunrise. Sorry for waking you so early, but we just have to get ready.” Wilbur says, rubbing his eyes. Dream scans the room, and Wilbur’s right. The three other boys remain in bed, making hushed sounds of sleep. Outside the window, the sky is still a deep blue-ish purple, but small orange and pink streaks make their way through the fog and over the hills. 

“It’s alright, we should go get ready. You can go to the bathroom first.” Wilbur grins and vanishes down the hallway, leaving Dream practically alone in the room. 

_That’s the first time I’ve slept without having a dream, or a nightmare or whatever they’re called_ , Dream thinks to himself as he gets out of bed and begins to quietly make his bed. It felt strange, almost like he closed his eyes at night and opened them in the morning. Like a long blink. He felt more well rested than he had before, though, so he wasn’t really complaining. 

But it somehow felt wrong. Not having any sort of dream, the day before he sees the Prince, and the day after he sees the prince in his own dreams. It almost felt like a bad omen of sorts. Dream shakes it off, he doesn’t want to take negativity into his meeting with the Prince today. 

A shiver runs down Dream’s spine as he thinks of it. He was going to be seeing George, in the flesh, and not on a yellow beach with purple waves, but in a castle. In the city. 

Wilbur returns faster than Dream can process, and immediately begins to lay down instructions in his hushed voice. “Okay, so after you change, Dad and I are gonna be out back putting things into the wagon, just meet us out there and then we’ll probably head back in to eat, say bye and leave.”

“Sounds good.” Dream says with a nod, grabbing his clothes. The two walk out together, before Will parts and heads downstairs, letting Dream go to the bathroom.

After tugging on his clothes, Dream dashes downstairs and out onto the cobblestone pathway. He followed it to the stables, where the cobblestone faded into a dusty dirt opening. Dream’s eyes opened wide.

Philza’s wings were open, and he flapped a bit above the wagon, helping Wilbur heave a crate of apples up onto it. Dream had always seen Phil’s wings neatly folded behind his back, but after seeing Techno’s hooves, huge lower teeth and thick pink hair, he feared it’d be rude to question it. He barely knows anything about society, after all. 

Phil spots Dream staring and laughs, touching down and breaking Dream out of his trance. Dream jogs over. “Good morning!” Phil says, and Dream returns it. “I forgot you’ve never seen me fly before. I’m surprised you haven’t asked me about my wings yet.” Phil says, bringing a crate of potatoes up into the wagon. 

“Truth be told, I was scared it’d be disrespectful.” Dream says, lifting a few other crates into the wagon. 

Phil snorts, “Disrespectful my ass. You’re practically a baby when it comes to how our world works, I’d never get upset at you for wanting to know what it is with me.” Dream and Phil share a smile. 

The three finish loading up the wagon and start their walk back. Dream stuffs his hands into his hoodie pockets. “Soo, about those wings?” He says with a sheepish smile, and Phil laughs.

“Dream, magical creatures are very prominent all over the world. Some of us are hybrids as well, with various animals. I am part bird, while Techno is part pig.” 

Dream nods. With as wild as the world seems, he isn’t too surprised. Plus, being mixed with a type of animal sounds very cool. 

Once they get back, Tommy, Tubbo and Techno are already making their way down the stairs. They all grin and head to the kitchen, talking amongst themselves. They have a quick breakfast of sandwiches before Dream, Wilbur and Phil all prepare themselves to leave to the city.

The morning is foggy, and the cold nips at Dream’s ears. Will lent Dream fancier (and somewhat warmer) clothing. It was definitely a lot colder for the first day of October than it was the prior day, and Dream had felt a little sad to part with the security of his bright green hoodie. Luckily, Wilbur had a knack for fashion, and Dream found himself in much more fitting attire, that was still a shade of green. 

Phil hoisted himself onto the wagon front, helping Wilbur up, who in turn gave Dream a hand. Phil grabbed the wagon horse’s reins and turned to his three other sons, who stood by the wagon. “Techno, you’re in charge while we’re gone. No traps, no pranks, no breaking shit. If we’re out late, you’re also in charge of dinner. I’ll owl you if anything.” Techno grins and nods, and Tommy rolls his eyes beside him. 

“Be safe!” Tubbo says with a smile. Phil nods, and snaps the horse’s reins. 

Dream looks back and waves at the boys. Techno stands with a content smile and his arms folded as Tommy and Tubbo wave their arms so hard it seems as though they might fly off. 

The barrier phases open, and the wagon passes through. Dream watched the trio back until they fade into the distance, and then altogether, as the barrier closes behind the wagon. Behind him, Dream sees only dense forest.

-

They had been on the road for a few hours now, switching between playful conversations and peaceful silence, inhabited only by the sounds of the woods. Wilbur had brought his guitar and was strumming aimlessly, occasionally humming a tune. 

“Dad,” Wilbur said suddenly with a grin, “You should tell Dream embarrassing childhood stories.”

Phil grins, “Oh man, why didn’t I think of that earlier? There are so many!”

“Tell the story of how you found Tubbo and brought him to the house!”

Dream had his eyes closed for most of the ride, peacefully taking in all the sounds, but upon hearing that, he opened his eyes and looked to the two men beside him. “Wait, ‘found’?”

Phil laughs, “Yup, found. Will and Tommy are my only sons by blood. The other two I, quite literally, found.” 

“Go on, go on!” Wilbur urges excitedly. 

“Well alright. It was a pretty cold and cloudy day. Techno and Will had come with me to the city, and we were on our way back home. We saw this figure by the road, and we couldn't really tell what it was. We weren’t too far from the city, and I know all sorts of shady characters hang on the outskirts of the city walls, so I wanted to press on, but-”

“Techno’s a little shit.” Will finished for Phil, and Dream wheezed.

“It wasn’t Techno-it was you! Wilbur, you had begged me to stop the wagon so you could see what was there!” Phil exclaimed with a laugh. “Wilbur was only a kid, so I guess it was natural for him, and I just knew he’d bitch the whole way back home, so I parked the wagon and we walked over”

“Not the best parenting on your end.” Wilbur remarked, strumming a chord on his guitar. Phil snorts. 

“Whatever. So we got out of the wagon, and I was all ready to have to throw hands with some insane social reject on the side of the road, but when we walked over, it was a literal kid sitting in a cloak! I naturally got worried, because it was freezing cold, and this kid is in a sweater, overalls, and an oversized cloak. I expected him to jump up and run away or something-but he just fuckin’ looks at me and smiles!”

Dream chuckles. “That is just like Tubbo. He hasn’t changed.” Dream remembers when he first met the brunette in the forest. Tubbo didn’t even look remotely scared, even though Dream was masked, equipped, and towered over him. Dream honestly couldn’t tell if it was bravery or just his naivety. 

“I scooped him up and I let him talk to Wilbur and Techno the rest of the way home. What we learned was that his name was Tubbo, he was two, and he was abandoned on the side of the road. We brought him home and cleaned him up. I had left him in the living room alone for like two seconds, and when I came back, he and Tommy were pretty much fighting to the death” Phil deadpanned, and Will laughed.

Dream raised an eyebrow. The words “Tommy and Tubbo” and “fighting” did not go in the same sentence, ever. As far as Dream had observed, the two could disagree, or playfully banter, but in the end, they were pretty much joint at the hip. Them fighting and wanting to do the other harm sounded otherworldly and physically impossible. 

“And Techno and Wilbur were being fuckin’ instigators and laughing! So I peeled the little fuckers apart and put them in timeout. Next thing I knew, they fell asleep while playing together.” Phil sighed with a smile. 

“Better times, right?” Will asked, chuckling.

“Oh, absolutely not. You were a hellspawn.” Phil said, and Dream wheezed.

They spoke quietly for a few more hours, and Phil shared a few more stories, all of which Dream found incredibly endearing. Although Techno and Tubbo were adopted, they were truly one of the closest families Dream had ever seen. Seriously, he had never seen another family before as far as he could remember. 

Eventually, the dirt path turned to cobblestone, and the trees thinned as they crossed more industrialized bridges with fancier designs. 

Soon enough, something enormous came into view.

A huge stone wall.

“Holy shit.” Dream breathed, craning his neck to look all the way up the wall, which casted a long shade over the forest. Despite the incredible height of the wall, the highest tower of what Dream assumed to be the castle still ever so slightly peeked out from above it.

“Guess you could say the Royals are quite extra.” Phil said with a chuckle.

As they pulled up closer to the giant wooden doors guarded by two extravagant-looking knights, Dream expected a headache. Philza had even prepared two whole thermoses of tea in case of anything. But he only felt a sense of deja-vu and familiarity, and almost, nostalgia. 

He had definitely been here before.

And multiple times, at that.

The wagon pulled to a stop right outside the giant doors.

“Good morning gentlemen!” Phil called down to the knights, who smiled upon seeing him.

“Noon now, Philza!” One of the knights said with a laugh. 

“Ah, seriously? It’s just so cold and foggy, feels like morning still.” 

The doors began to open.

“See you later boys!” Phil said with a wave, and the gates opened.

And the wagon passed through.

And Dream saw the city.

A cobblestone street, lined with quaint shops and motels and restaurants. Busy people who seemed to be all of sorts of backgrounds crowded the streets. Children gleefully screamed and whined and cried. And in the center, a giant, shining castle, with multiple towers and many windows. Decorative statues and gargoyles and carvings intricately placed on every level. Stained glass artwork shined so brightly in the sun despite the fog, Dream thought he’d go blind if he looked at it for any longer.

The headache that hit was absolutely excruciating.

All sound drowned out, and Dream was only left with a high pitched ringing in his ears. He groaned, but he couldn’t see himself. He wanted to double over, curl up into a ball, squeeze his eyes shut, but he couldn’t look away. He prayed for his vision to blur, he prayed that he’d stop seeing, that his senses would all fade and he’d fall unconscious, but it stayed sharp.

The wagon swerved onto another street-a marketplace. Busy with shop vendors and people. The colors were overwhelming. Dream wanted to scream. 

He’d been in this city before.

He’d walked these streets, bargained with the marketplace vendors, been in every shop and every alleyway, _he had been here and everywhere within here._

The cart slows to a stop, and Dream feels someone shake his shoulder. He still can't hear. The ringing feels like it's drilling into his skull, his eardrums felt like they were going to explode. 

Someone places a hand on the side on his head and lowers him, and Dream feels his head touch someone’s lap. He only sees the wooden front of the wagon. His body allows his eyes to close.

Dream wasn’t sure how long he had laid with his eyes closed. He wasn’t sure if he had gone unconscious-it all felt like a blur. But when he opened his eyes he could see, and when he shifted around he could hear the busy market and a deep accented voice speak to him softly. 

“Hey, hey, hey-it’s okay. Sit up.”

Dream did as he was told. When he looked beside him, there sat Will. His eyes were full of concern, and he held a thermos in his hand. Dream opened his mouth to speak, but Wilbur put the thermos to his lips. 

Dream drank until he thought he would drown, and he gasped lightly when Wilbur removed the thermos from his mouth.

“Feeling any better?” Will asks gently. Dream nods, looking around. They were behind a booth, where Phil stood. He seemed to be bargaining the price of a corn cob with an old woman. 

“How long was I…….out?” Dream asks, wiping his mouth. “Was I even out?”

“Not very long, only an hour or two. I didn’t expect any less of a reaction, honestly.” Wilbur screwed the cap back onto the thermos and put it away into his knapsack. 

Dream bit his tongue. “I’m sorry you have to baby me.” He blurted out, without thinking.

Wilbur snorted, “W-What? Baby you? Man, you lost all your memories and were possibly tortured by someone. I’m just doing the right thing.” 

Dream smiled. Though he still felt somewhat guilty for shoving himself into a stranger’s life, he knew Wilbur and his family were doing this because they wanted to. And Dream was truly grateful for that. 

Phil finished selling the corn, and turned back to the wagon, grinning when he saw Dream sitting up. He walked over to them. “Feeling better, I hope?” Dream nodded. “Good!” Phil said, sighing happily. “We’ve got an hour or so before we should head to the castle for our audience with the Prince.”

“Do you need any help?” Wilbur asks. Phil shakes his head.

“Nah, it’s not that busy today. I can handle it on my own with ease. You two should go look around.” Phil gestures towards the marketplace.

Wilbur gives Dream a hesitant look, “Would you be up for that?’

Walking around sounds logical, as Dream should look around as much as possible and see what memories he can gather from his surroundings. His head feels clear after such a strong headache, and if anything, they can just not walk far. So he nods, and Will smiles.

Wilbur grabs his knapsack from out of the wagon. “Be back in an hour! Wilbur, you have a watch, keep track of time!”

Will and Dream wave at Phil as they walk off and out into the city. 

“Does any of this seem familiar?” Wilbur asks as they weave through the crowd.

“All of it does. I’ve been here before, everywhere we drove through I remember.” Dream looks around at the buildings and the people. He’s more than sure than he’s been here before. “It’s like I remember, but no specific memories come with any of this. I just know I’ve been here.”

Wilbur nods, obviously thinking. They walk around for a bit, the lively sounds of the city filling the silence between them. There were various shops, probably one for every thing Dream could think of. He caught himself wishing there was a store where he could buy his memories back.

Although he could see when they first entered the city, Dream’s headache had made looking at the city and taking it in as he was now almost impossible. So, he let his eyes wander, scanning every building. 

The caste was beautiful. Dream shielded his eyes as he looked at it. Although it wasn’t sunny, the giant colorful windows reflected blinding light into his eyes. _I’m gonna be going in there soon,_ Dream thinkings to himself, and he feels nervousness bubble up in his throat. He swallows it down. It was going to go fine. Just fine.

“Hey Dream,” Wilbur tapped Dream’s shoulder and turned around. “We should start heading back now.” 

Dream nodded and let Wilbur lead him back to the marketplace, where they ducked behind the vendors and back to Phil.

“Ah, you boys are back a little early. That’s good though, I could use some help wrapping up.” Phil says with a smile, wiping his hands down with a towel.

Wilbur and Dream help Phil place empty crates into the wagon, and Dream marveled at how everything had been sold. Phil laughed, “We’re quite popular amongst townsfolk. I think we’re known for our potatoes.” 

Soon enough, they had closed their stand and packed everything up. Dream hoisted himself back into the wagon, helping Wilbur up next. They begin their drive to the castle.

Dream’s nerves skyrocket, and he plays with the buttons on his coat. “Phil, what do I even ask him?” 

Phil smiles, “Anything! Best you could do is probably tell him about your predicament, and hopefully he’ll provide what he knows about you.” Dream nods. It all makes sense. He begins to come up with what he’ll say. Maybe he’d want to be formal? “Your Majesty” is what people call Royals, right? Dream can barely form a coherent thought.

As they near the castle, his nerves begin to contort into pure fear. The feeling in his stomach from the day before returns. This doesn’t feel safe. He isn’t supposed to be here. _Shut up you idiot, it’s too late to back out now,_ Dream scolds himself. 

The wagon pulls to a stop outside a metal-bar gate, guarded by two more knights. “Name?” One of the knights asks. 

“Philza, here for an audience with the Prince.”

The knight opens a scroll and looks through it, his eyes stopping at a name, and he nods. “Clear. You may pass.” 

“Thank you!” Phil says with a smile. The gates creak open, opening inwards. The horse pulling the wagon slowly walks inwards. They stop the wagon and Phi gets out. 

“It’s time. You ready?” Phil asks, and Dream nods, swallowing hard. “Good. This is how it’s gonna work. I’ll walk inside and introduce you, and then you walk in after me. Sound good?” 

Dream nods. “So I come as a surprise.”

Phil laughs, “In a way, I guess so!”

Phil walks to the huge doors and opens them, smiling. Dream doesn’t walk in, but he peeks into the throne room. 

There are three thrones in the back center. Two small ones on the outside, and then a very tall and extravagant one in the center. Simply the thrones intimidated Dream. 

Phil stepped to the center of the room, a bright smile still on his face. The sound of a door opening echoed in the room, along with the clicking of heeled boots. Dream couldn’t see one corner of the room, so he assumed the sound was coming from there.

Suddenly, a figure stepped onto the stage where the thrones stood, and sat themselves on the smaller throne to right. 

George.

He was dressed in royal blue clothing, with a small crown perched on his head. His expression was serious. 

Dream couldn’t take his eyes off of him.

Seeing George hit Dream with so much nostalgia. He looked pretty much the same as he did in the pictures Phil showed Dream.

Phil bowed deeply. “Your Majesty, thank you so much for your time.” 

George nodded. 

Dream longed to hear his voice. 

“As you know, I live on a farm in the woods. Nearby me, by a few miles, there is a beach. Typically, the surrounding areas are completely void of any people. But recently, a traveler came to my farm.” 

George raised an eyebrow.

And he spoke.

“Continue.”

It was one word, but it Dream like a giant wave. This was different from hearing the Prince’s voice in a dream. This was real. George was real. 

“He is in quite the predicament. He had washed up on the beach, and has no recollection of anything that happened to him. Or anything at all. He had his memories erased, and I speculate, by someone.” 

“What does this have to do with me?” George asks, shifting in his throne and crossing his legs. 

“As you may know, poorly sealed memories can cause the victim much pain. Mostly, by indulging, seeing or hearing something from their past. Your highness, this traveler was in an excruciating amount of pain upon hearing your name.” 

There was silence for a few beats. The Prince furrowed his brow, like he was thinking hard. 

“Let me see the traveler.”

Phil bowed, “Of course, Your Grace.” Phil gestured to the door.

Will pushed Dream forward slightly and whispered, “That’s your queue!”

Dream stepped into the throne room.

It was completely silent except for the sound of Dream’s heeled boots clicking on the shiny, polished floors.

He bowed deeply, and once he straightened again, he focused his eyes on the Prince.

Who had gone paler than snow.

Dream wasn’t sure what to say. He felt himself shrink under George’s gaze. The fear he felt before exploded into all of his cells, making him shiver slightly.

George speaks.

“Dream.” His voice is shaky and small.

Phil looks nervously between the prince and Dream, evidently at loss for words.

“Say something.” George speaks again, his voice louder, but still shaking slightly. “Say something, right now. Prove it’s you. Prove this isn’t some sick joke.”

What was Dream supposed to say? George evidently knew who he was. So, he simply said the one name that’s been plaguing his thoughts for the past few days. 

“George?”

George’s face fell, his eyes still open wide. He backs up ever so slightly. “No. This is a nightmare. None of this is real, you’ve just come back to haunt me.”

“George, I-” Dream desperately wants to talk to him, he doesn’t even know what he did. He takes a step forward.

“Don’t!” George opens his hands in front of him, almost like he was bracing himself. “Don’t come any closer!”

The room is silent. Phil evidently doesn’t know what to do, and neither does Dream. They don’t have any more time to think, as George yells.

“Guards!”

That can’t be good.

“Arrest them!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading! as i said in the first note, this is only the beginning. this definitely isn't the last we see of our lovely prince, and next chapter, we get to meet a new friend (or is he a foe? the answers will be different depending on who you ask). if i finish the next chapter fast enough, i might update later tonight! don't take my word for it, though. i also have an upcoming fall break with most of my classes, so hopefully that means more time to write and longer updates! you can find me on twitter, @T0BYTHEWORLD! hope you enjoyed. see youuu <3


	7. Maze

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi everyone!!! super sorry for my absence in posting!! i've been quite busy recently, and this chapter was a little harder to convey. hopefully you like it :)

“Arrest them!”

George’s voice echoed around the room for a few beats, before armed knights seemed to appear almost out of thin air. 

Phil extended his hands, his eyes painted in fear. “Now! Let’s talk about this!” He says with a nervous laugh.

The guards charge.

“Why the hell are you just standing there?!” Wilbur yells. 

Phil and Dream turn on their heels and dash out of the throne room. They scatter into the wagon, and Will immediately takes the reins. The horses neigh loudly, before taking off.

“Don’t go to the gates! I’m sure the guards there already know about us, and they won’t let us out. We have to find somewhere to hide in the city.” Phil shouts. 

“Where the fuck would that be?!” Will says, his hair blowing in the wind.

Suddenly, it comes to Dream.

 _You know a place to hide,_ a voice within him says.

“Crash the wagon!” Dream yells. Will gives him a bewildered look. 

“What the fuck?!”

“Trust me!” 

Wilbur lets go of the reins and the horses go insane, running as fast as they can.

“We have to jump out!” Phil yells. Wilbur is a step ahead of him, the tall man throws himself out of the wagon and lands on his feet. Dream and Phil follow.

The wagon takes off, and two guards mounted on horses follow it. They haven’t noticed that the wagon is driver-less.

“Follow me, we have to hurry.” Dream says, his voice slightly hoarse. 

They dash through the crowd, shoving confused townspeople aside. Dream ducks into an alleyway and catches his breath. “Okay, we don’t have to run anymore, but we should still stay alert.” 

“How the hell do you know where you’re going?” Phil says, his voice echoing around the damp alleyway as the trio heads on.

“It’s this instinct. I think I knew someone from around here. Or I lived around here.”

“...You lived in an alleyway?” Wilbur says with a smirk.

Dream chuckles and shrugs. “Guess we’ll find out.”

They walk on for a few moments, before reaching a brick wall. 

“Fuck, a dead end.” Phil sighs.

“No, hold on.”

_Protective measures, Dream. They were your idea._

He knocks on a set of stones in a certain pattern. He pauses for a moment, and the bricks slowly begin to rearrange and realign themselves to form an opening. Ahead is a dimly lit hallway. 

_I knew you remembered._

Wilbur and Phil stare at the opening with open eyes and Dream walks on. 

“Wait!” Wilbur calls after Dream, and Dream stops and turns around. “How do you know it’s safe?”

“I….I just know. There’s this voice in the back of my head. It tells me things.” Dream says, and then pauses to recognize how creepy that statement was. 

“A voice?” Phil says, his eyes somehow opening even wider. “Dream, that’s your subconscious.”

“..My subconscious?”

Phil nods. “How memory suppression works, is that you must separate your conscious from your subconscious, and suppress your subconscious. Your subconscious contains all your memories, while your conscious is what you’re experiencing in the moment. Basically, this means whoever was suppressing your memories did a shit job.”

Dream snorted. “...Guess I trust the voice then.”

The three go on. They turn a corner, and reach a floor that has huge tiles on it. Dream extends his arms, so that Wilbur and Phil stop.

“Is this a trap?” Wilbur asks, and Dream nods. 

“Follow my every move, don't step on any tiles that I don’t step on.”

Dream steps on the first tile, one that's far to the side and designed to look like space. Next, he leaps across to a center row tile. After zigzagging through the tiles, Dream reaches the end of the hallway. Phil and WIlbur closely follow, and they walk away from the tile trap and onwards to another hallway. 

“Please, no more traps.” Wilbur sighs, and Dream laughs. 

At the end of the hallway stands a door, and the trio walk up to it. 

_Not there, to your left._

Dream turns to his left to see another brick wall. One of the bricks seemed to be sticking out, so he pushed it in. The bricks parted and rearranged themselves to reveal a wooden door. 

“We’re here.” He says, placing a hand on the brass doorknob. 

He opens it, to reveal a living room. They walk in, and Dream shuts the door behind it. From behind the door, he hears the bricks rearrange back into place. 

“Oh. So you _don’t_ live in an alleyway.” Wilbur says, looking around.

Dream laughs. “In a way, I guess I do.” 

From a few rooms down, a sudden clattering noise is heard. 

Wilbur and Phil give Dream confused looks. Dream shrugs and walks to the source of the sound.

A door opens. 

“Don’t come any fucking closer!” A voice shouts. 

The trio turn around to see a young man brandishing a knife. He has jet black hair and is dressed in casual clothing, with a white bandana wrapped around his forehead. His grey eyes scan over Wilbur and Phil, and stop on Dream. 

He freezes.

The knife falls out of his hand and clatters onto the floor. 

“ _Dream,_ ” He says, his voice barely a whisper.

Dream feels an oncoming headache, but he doesn’t have time to think about that as the man dashes towards him.

Dream panics and considers running, but the man is faster. Dream’s frozen in place. He shuts his eyes and braces himself.

He is met with a hug.

The man wraps his arms around Dream’s waist and squeezes, hands grabbing fists of Dream’s clothes. Dream feels the young man bury his face deep in Dream’s chest. 

“It’s you,” He whispers into Dream’s chest, “It’s really you.”

Dream’s arms stay awkwardly raised, and he gives Wilbur an urgently confused look, but Wilbur looks just as confused. 

“Who are you?” Phil asks, his tone full of alarm.

The man raises his head from Dream’s chest, but keeps his arms protectively wrapped around him. “I could literally ask you the same thing.” He turns back to Dream. “Dream, are these like your friends or some shit?”

Dream is still at a lost for words, so he says the first thing that comes to mind. 

“Who are you?”

The man laughs. “You’re funny!”

“No, seriously, who are you?” Dream reiterates. 

“What do you mean, ‘Who are you’, I’m Sapnap!” The man-Sapnap- says with a smile. 

The name immediately triggers a headache, and Dream groans loudly, tearing a hand through his hair. Sapnap’s eyes opened wide with fear, and he turned quickly to Phil and Wilbur.

“What is happening to him?!” He yells.

Wilbur sighs, tacking his knapsack off his back and pulling the thermos of tea out of the back. “Let go of him, sit him down.” 

Sapnap sat Dream down on the couch, and Wilbur handed Dream the thermos. Dream chugged the contents, and Sapnap nervously watched him.

“What’s going on?” Sapnap says, his voice trembling.

Phil sighs. “Dream had his memory wiped. He came to us after waking up on a deserted beach, and we’ve been trying to help him regain his memory since.”

Sapnap stood in silence, his eyes open wide. “So…...That’s where he’s been….”

Phil raised an eyebrow. “Has Dream been missing for a while?”

Dream groans aloud. His head continued to pound, and he leaned over, laying down and sprawling his legs across the couch.

“I think we shouldn’t talk about that around him.” Sapnap says with a wince. “I...I don’t like seeing him like this.”

Phil nods. 

As the three other men in the room talking amongst themselves silently, Dream let his eyes flutter closed. He did sleep well that night, but the headaches and the running simply made him so _tired_. He let his mind wander, and consciousness evaded his grasp.

“Looks like he’s asleep.” Wilbur said with a sigh, a small smile on his face. 

“So, you guys have been….taking care of Dream this entire time?” Sapnap says.

“Well, sort of. Not the entire time he’s been missing. He only showed up at the farm a few days ago.” Phil said, watching Dream sleep peacefully on the couch.

Sapnap smiled. Tears lined his eyelids, ready to spill out. “Thank you. So much.” He said, his voice wobbly. 

Phil took Sapnap into a gentle hug. “We’ll make sure he remembers you. I promise.” 

Sapnap cried. 

-

Dream felt like screaming when he woke up to sand under his hands. 

He sat himself up, eyes focusing, and he looked around. 

Ahead of him, in the purple surf, stood George. He had a smile on his face, and his pants were rolled all the way up his thighs so he could wade in the water. Dream looked beside where he was sat to see George’s royal blue cape discarded on the sand, along with his crown. 

George turned away from the ocean to look at Dream, his smile widening. “Dude, you sleep like a fucking rock!” 

Dream’s anger faded and was replaced with a light and airy feeling. Seeing George smile like that was a first, though it didn’t feel like one. Dream stood, and noticed that his own pants were also rolled up. He was barefoot. He walked to the water and waded in until it reached about his calves. George was still in the water ahead. 

George leaned into the water, and a small wave lapped at his rolled up sleeve, making it slightly wet. But, George seemed too focused on what he was leaning in to grab. George grabbed something out of the water and cupped it in his hands, before wading back to Dream. George uncupped his hands.

“Open your hands.” George instructed, and Dream did so.

George dumped a bunch of pink flower petals into Dream’s palms.

“Begonias.” George said with a small smile. 

Dream looked at the petals. They were small, and soft against his hands. They weren’t even wet, which was strange, considering the fact that George seemed to magically pull them out of the surf. 

Dream said something.

He felt his mouth move. He watched George’s eyes as the shorter seemed to process his words.

But he couldn’t hear himself.

He tried to repeat what he had said, but his lips wouldn’t move. 

George laughed and waved him off, returning to the waves. 

Dream’s vision blurred.

_No, no it can’t end now. I don’t know what’s happening still._

The sound of waves crashing buzzed into static.

 _I can’t forget this._ Dream begged himself.

A voice spoke within him.

_You won’t._

Dream jolted awake, sitting up and gasping for air. 

In front of him, Wilbur, Phil and Sapnap sat on the rocky floor and seemed to be discussing something, until they all turned to Dream, slightly surprised. 

“You’re awake! Did you sleep well?” Phil said with a smile.

Wilbur looked to his father, bewildered. “Does it look like he slept well?”

Sapnap snorted.

“I dreamt of him.” Dream said breathlessly.

“Prince George?” Phil asked, and Sapnap looked at him, wide-eyed. 

Dream nodded.

Sapnap narrowed his eyes. Something stirred behind them, but Dream was too busy trying to collect himself after his nightmare to notice. 

“We were at the beach again, like all my dreams have started, but we didn’t sit in the sand, we were in the waves, and-” Dream said, a hand in his hair.

Phil moved to sit on the couch, placing a gentle hand on Dream’s shoulder. “Slow down, don’t rush.”

Dream took a deep breath in through his nose, and exhaled heavily through his mouth, before continuing. 

“He reached into the water, and he pulled out a bunch of flower petals. He called them begonias, I think.” Dream explained, his tone much more calm now.

“He pulled flower petals out of the ocean?” Wilbur questioned, his tone slightly amused. Phil shot him a glare.

“Keep going.” Phil said to Dream, his tone gentle.

“And I said something to him, but I couldn’t hear myself talk. I don’t know what I said. But he laughed, and then I woke up.” 

“Begonias you said, right?” Phil asked, and Dream nodded. “Shoot, if only we were back at the farm. I have a whole book on flower language, I bet they have a meaning.” 

Dream gasped. “The farm! Techno’s still alone with Tommy and Tubbo!” 

“Hey, hey, don’t freak out. Sapnap was kind enough to lend me an owl, and I send them a letter saying that we probably won’t be home for a bit. I’m sure they’ll understand.” Phil said gently.

“Though Techno’s definitely gonna hate the extra time spent with those two gremlins.” Wilbur said through a smile. 

Dream’s head fell into his hands. “I’m so sorry, I got us trapped in the city.” 

“Don’t apologize! You don’t even know what you did to anger the Prince. Plus, us being chased led us to Sapnap, who has lots of useful information.” Sapnap smiled at Phil’s comment. 

Dream turned to Sapnap, “Do you know about what happened with us and George?” Sapnap nodded.

“I know about your past with George. Not everything, but the gist. I guess.” He says. His tone was somewhat bitter, as if he didn’t want to think about it.

Dream opened his eyes excitedly, but Phil squeezed his shoulder. 

“Dream, the way these memory suppressant spells work, is that we can’t just tell you your past. You need to figure things out yourself. Meaning, we _need_ George in order for you to sufficiently be able to remember him.” Phil said with a sigh.

“What? But, can’t you just tell me?”

“No. Telling you won’t make you remember. You’ll just suffer through a headache, and know that it has happened to you, but you won’t be able to recall any of those memories. Doing things like that may also negatively affect the memory restoring procedure outcome.”

Dream raised an eyebrow. “Memory restoring procedure?”

Phil nodded. “Once we speak to George and gather a sufficient amount of info on who you were, I can perform a counter spell, and merge your subconscious with your conscious. But in order for me to do that, I need to know a lot more about you. Sapnap told me tons, but George has all the missing pieces.” 

Dream looked down at the ground. “But George hates me and wants us to be arrested. There’s no logical way for us to talk to him.”

Sapnap laughed airly, and everyone turned to look at him. “You guys think really close-mindedly, you know.” He says with a smirk.

“Well then, enlighten us.” Wilbur says, leaning back on his hands.

Sapnap grins. “There’s no _legal_ way for us to talk to George, but there are plenty of ways to get him to ourselves. Can’t say they won’t be pretty difficult though.” 

Phil motioned with his hand for Sapnap to continue. 

“I’m sure Dream still knows a lot about the castle and it’s defenses, as his subconscious guided you all here to our home. So, we can easily go in and out.” 

“There’s no way we could get George alone for that long. He’ll call the guards the minute we get what we need, and I can’t do the spell in prison.” Phil says, crossing his arms. 

Sapnap rolls his eyes. “Do you seriously not see what I’m getting at here? I said in and _out_. Who said we have to stay there with the Prince?”

Wilbur’s eyes widened the size of tea cups. “Oh my god, are you insinuating that we-”

Sapnap chuckles.

“I’m insinuating that we kidnap the Prince.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading!! i should be going back to my regular one-a-day posting schedule, but please don't come after me if i miss a day lol. i've been posting progress updates on my twitter, @T0BYTHEWORLD, so if i miss a day of posting i've probably tweeted abt it. this is only the beginning of quite the fun ride, as expected with sapnap's appearance. super excited for the next chapter, i think you guys will like it. i absolutely adore your comments, they totally make my day (the comments on the last chapter were so funny omg), as do your kudos! see you all <333


	8. Escape

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> long chapter today pog! hopefully you guys like this one,,,it was so fun to write. thank you so much for the comments and kudos!!! i'm absolutely over the moon, i never thought this fic would get as much attention as it's getting now. anyway, i really hope you enjoy!

“I’m insinuating that we kidnap the Prince.”

The room falls silent, and Sapnap laughs again. “You guys all look so stunned!”

“Are you joking?” Wilbur asks, and Sapnap shakes his head.

“No, I’m for real. Think about it! You guys can’t leave to the farmhouse cause the city’s on lockdown, but if the damn Prince, the city’s favorite pretty boy, goes _missing_ , all hell will break loose. All the guards will be tasked with finding him. There’ll be practically no one guarding the main gates. We could slip out with ease. And, if we take the Prince with us, then we practically have unlimited time to talk with him, right? You said your farmhouse is hidden, and the Prince has no way of fighting a whole fucking family. It’s perfect!” 

The room’s silent again.

The thing is, that Sapnap is _right_. It’s the perfect plan, when you look more into it. Plus, it wasn’t like they had many other options. Philza and Wilbur seemed to share Dream’s thoughts.

“Alright, you have a point. But, how can we pull that off? It must be insanely difficult to get into the castle without clearance, let alone the Prince’s chambers.” Philza said, his eyebrows furrowed in thought.

“Philza, do you remember what I told you about Dream?” Sapnap says slowly. Dream raises an eyebrow at this. He knows he can’t ask, and even if he asks he won’t get any info, but he was still curious.

Phil was quiet for a moment, before he nodded. “You’re right. I think…...I think this could work.” 

Wilbur scoffed. “Are you crazy? The four of us, breaking into the castle and stealing the fucking Prince?”

“Woah now, I never said the four of us.” Sapnap said. “Obviously, all four of us can’t lap around the inside of the castle. We’d all have different tasks, and we’d be spread out.” 

Wilbur crossed his arms, and his face contorted with thought.

“But, before we start planning, are you guys in? Are we gonna do this?” Sapnap asked. 

“Yes.” Dream said, all a little too quickly. Sapnap smiled at him. 

“Naturally you’re the first one to be ready, Dream.” He said teasingly.

Dream smiled sheepishly. “It’s not like we have any other options, right? We can’t call another meeting with the prince. I think this is our best bet.” 

Phil nodded. “I’m in too.”

All eyes turned to Wilbur, who smirked and shrugged. “I’m sure this could be fun.”

Sapnap grinned. “All right then! Here’s the plan: Phil, you mentioned earlier that the horses on your wagon are trained to hide in the city when abandoned. We’ll go fetch them, and Wilbur will keep them parked discreetly outside of the castle. Phil, you can fly, so you can fly above the castle and keep watch of the guard layout from above. I’ll be around the castle for backup, and Dream will get George.”

Dream froze. “Hold on, _I’m_ getting George?”

Sapnap glanced to Phil, almost as if he was asking permission, and Phil nodded. Only then Sapnap spoke. “Well, yeah. You spent a lot of time in the castle, and you’d tell me that you knew your way around it. I’m sure you’ll find George’s chambers easily, and if you need help getting him, I’m there for backup.”

Dream nodded, but his anxiety spiked. He wouldn’t technically be alone in getting George, but it was still very anxiety inducing. He’d have to weave through the palace undetected, and, keep George from doing anything that would alert the guards. What if he got a headache? Or his subconscious didn’t do anything, and he got lost?

Sapnap took Dream’s hand and gave him an encouraging smile. “I’m sure you can do this. You’ll see-it’s in your blood.”

As much as Dream appreciated Sapnap’s comfort, that phrase wasn’t as comforting as he probably intended it to be. Hearing that kidnapping someone is “in your blood”, is quite the opposite of comforting. At least, it was to the new and completely clueless version of Dream. 

Dream nodded and smiled nonetheless. He still appreciated Sapnap, and his efforts to console him. 

“Alright, we should probably start getting prepared then, right? I don’t want to spend an hour more in this city than I have to.” Wilbur said, shivering slightly.

Sapnap nodded, and they all began to do their own tasks.

Phil was given a dark cloak, and set off to find the horses and the wagon. Sapnap went off to get rope from the storage rooms, while Wilbur and Dream changed into more “stealthy” clothes. 

Once Sapnap had returned, he was also changed into darker clothing. Even his previous white headband he had switched out for a dark grey one, which almost blended in with his jet black hair. 

Phil came back, breathless after maneuvering the maze that was the entrance to Sapnap’s home. “Dream made it look so easy!” He said with an incredibly wheeze-y laugh. 

After they had double checked their materials at least ten more times, the foursome made their way out of the hidden home and back into the alleyway, where the wagon and horses awaited them.

The damp stone of the alleyway glistened white in the moonlight, and Dream couldn’t help but stop to appreciate how pretty the sky looked that night. He was brought back to reality by Sapnap clearing his throat. 

“Okay, we’re ready, right?” The other three nodded. “Good. Best of luck, everyone.” 

With a huge flap, Phil propelled into the air. He waved goodbye from midair before flying away in the direction of the castle. Sapnap, Dream and Wilbur all loaded into the wagon. Wilbur smacked the reins, and they were off.

Sapnap quietly spoke directions for Wilbur, and they took a very twisted path along the very outskirts of the city, alongside the giant walls that enclosed it. There was no one on the streets, and all the lights in the shop windows were off. It gave Dream an eerie feeling that made him shiver. 

Eventually, the wagon came to a silent stop beside a tall metal fence, which seemed to enclose a garden. 

“Okay Dream, this is your stop.” Sapnap whispered. Dream gulped, and began to get out of the wagon, but Sapnap stopped him and pulled him into a hug. “You’ve got this, trust me. I’ll know if you’ll need help.”

Dream smiled and returned the hug, before letting go. He quickly scaled the fencing and threw himself over the rose bush that leaned against it, making a soft landing into the grass below. 

He glanced around the garden, and felt the feeling of remembrance creep up his neck. 

He had been here before. 

But, there was no time left to waste around in the garden. Dream quickly and quietly moved to the doorway that led into the inside of the castle, and snuck inside. 

He was met with the grandiose hallway. Giant chandeliers hung overhead, and the beautifully patterned carpet shuffled ever so slightly under Dream’s feet as he walked. Not once did the feeling of remembrance fade. 

_Up a floor,_ Dream exhaled air he didn’t know he was holding as his subconscious whispered to him. 

Dream moved, guided completely by his subconscious and pure muscle memory. He creeped around corners, checking them beforehand to make sure they were empty. Eventually, Dream found the stairs and made his way up. 

He heard quiet chatter, and immediately ducked into the shadows of a corridor. Two guards passed by, quietly talking to one another. They were heavily armed, and equipped with swords. Dream shivered, his mind straying to what might’ve happened to him if he hadn’t have hid. 

Once the guards passed, Dream continued to creep down the hallway. 

_All the doors in the castle look the same, as to not give away the location of any of the Royal’s chambers, or the placement of important things_. Dream was a bit surprised with how much he “remembered”. _That’s a bit of a useless asset, especially when it comes to me,_ Dream thinks to himself with a smile. 

He moved down the hallways, keeping to the shadows. In a way, the halls felt like a maze. 

_Stop,_ Dream’s subconscious commanded, and he did. _To your right. You’re here._

Dream looked at the door, which looked identical to all the other doors that had lined the hallway. Dream was hit with a wave of nostalgia, and he almost seemed to breathe it in and exhale it. He was surprised he hadn’t gotten a headache yet. Maybe it was because he was focused?

Dream brought his attention back to the door. There was a good chance the door was locked. If it was, then Dream would either have to break it down, which would be obnoxiously loud and would give away his location, or, he’d have to go all the way back around and out the castle to find a way to get into the window. 

Dream placed a hand on the doorknob, and as he turned it, he prayed that it would be open.

And it was.

Dream silently opened the door, peeking in.

George was in the clothing Dream saw him in earlier, but his crown and cape were discarded on his bed. George himself was seated behind his desk, his head propped on his chin and a book laid in front of him. But, it was obvious that George was not paying attention to the book. His eyes seemed to be looking beyond it, and thoughts clouded them. 

While George was distracted, Dream moved out of the doorway and into the room, not turning his back on George for a second. He pressed his back against the door and closed it slowly.

At the sound of the door clicking shut softly, George glanced up at the door. His eyes quickly grew to be wider than plates and he jolted up to stand.

Before George could make a sound, Dream lunged forward and clamped a hand over George’s mouth, wrapping the other arm around his waist and pulling him close. 

George made muffled sounds as he struggled in Dream’s grasp. Dream frantically searched the room for something, anything, that could efficiently tie George up, but nothing seemed to catch his eye. While Dream was distracted, George moved his mouth out from under Dream’s cupped hand. 

Dream panicked, expecting George to scream for guards, but George’s tone was almost hushed. “Let go of me-!”

Dream immediately moved his hand back over George’s mouth. “George, George. You’ve got to listen to me.” George’s thrashing slowed slightly. “This is important.”

George hummed into Dream’s hand, almost as if he were asking permission to speak. Dream removed his hand, but still kept it near George’s face. “Why should I?” He said, his voice almost breathless. “Do you know how terrifying this is? You betrayed me, Dream, and then you tried to infiltrate the palace by recruiting someone and lying, and now you’re trying to kidnap me?” 

Dream bit his lip. Although some of George’s assumptions weren’t true, just seeing the fear in George’s eyes made him feel incredible amounts of guilt. Dream didn’t even know what he did to betray George.

Dream didn’t even notice that his grip around George weakened, and the smaller took advantage of it, placing his palms on Dream’s chest and pushing him away. 

Although surprised, Dream quickly rebounded, grabbing George’s shoulders. George thrashed in his grip.

“You monster! You’re a monster!” George said, his voice dangerously approaching a yell. Dream couldn’t let go of George’s shoulders to silence him, so he resorted to frantic shushing. 

Dream swore he saw a tear trickle down George’s cheek. 

“I can’t believe I ever trusted you!” George’s voice hit a shout as he tried to drown out Dream’s shushing.

George opened his mouth again, and Dream’s panic became more real. George was definitely going to call the guards. Dream needed to act now, and fast. 

But there wasn’t much he could do. He couldn’t silence George and risk letting him go entirely. 

Suddenly, a loud clang was heard. It sounded almost like a gong. 

George’s eyes went wide, and his jaw seemed to relax. The brunette’s eyes rolled back in his head, showing only the whites. He fell forwards, going completely limp in Dream’s arms.

Directly behind where George formerly stood, was Sapnap. Armed with a frying pan. 

Dream could feel his cheeks burn from how hard he was grinning. 

Sapnap returned the grin. “You can praise me on how fucking awesome that was later. Right now, we have to get out of here _fast_. You two were loud, and so was the sound of me hitting him, so the guards probably heard.”

Dream gently tossed the unconscious prince over his shoulder (much like a sack of potatoes), and followed Sapnap to George’s opened balcony. 

Over the ledge, hung a rope, which Dream inferred was Sapnap’s way of getting up into George’s room without being detected. Dream knew he was right when he looked below and saw Wilbur and the wagon. 

Sapnap quickly made his descent, and Dream followed close behind. It was somewhat difficult getting down, as he needed to make sure that George didn’t slip off his shoulder and fall to his death. 

Once they reached the ground, Dream climbed into the back of the wagon. Sapnap tugged down the rope, and quickly folded it back up as he climbed into the back of the wagon beside Dream.

A few loud flaps were heard, and Philza came floating down. He quickly folded his wings and climbed into the front wagon seat beside Wilbur. 

“The guards that were posted at the front of the palace just left their posts. I think they heard you two.” He said, facing back to Sapnap and Dream.

Sapnap hissed in a breath. “Let’s get out of here, then!” 

Wilbur smacked the reins, and they were off. 

They wasted no time going as quietly as they did before, and they sped forwards towards the giant doorway that Wilbur, Phil and Dream first entered through. 

There were no guards posted there, just like Sapnap had assumed. It was both a good thing and a bad thing. 

“The crank! The doors won’t open!” Wilbur said frantically. Sapnap quickly jumped out.

Sapnap turned the crank and the doors began to open. The wagon sped through the doors, and Sapnap let go of the crank. 

The doors began to close much faster than they had opened, and Dream sucked in a breath as he watched them close.

Sapnap sped ahead, making it through the small gap between the doors that was left and throwing himself into the back of the wagon.

The doors slammed shut, and the city disappeared behind them.

-

The sun slowly began to come up over the trees, making it somewhat brighter than it had been before. The dense forest still made it dark, but with the sun coming, they were able to blow out the lantern they had lit. 

Wilbur had fallen asleep, meaning Phil was now in charge of guiding the horses. They had been on the road for a few hours now. 

The Prince’s head was gently placed in Dream’s lap, his legs curled up into his chest. From first glance, one might think he had just peacefully fallen asleep in Dream’s lap, as his mouth was slightly parted and his breaths were even and slow. Sapnap must’ve hit him quite hard if he was able to stay unconscious for this long.

Dream noticed from the corner of his eye that Sapnap was staring at George and scowling. When Dream turned his head fully to look at Sapnap, the man looked away. Dream knew Sapnap wouldn’t tell him what was going on, anyway. 

Eventually the forest became more familiar, and Dream knew they were nearing the farm. He smiled softly to himself. He had found himself missing the serenity of the farmhouse, and the three they had left behind. He couldn’t wait to get back to picking peaches, listening to piano duets, nightly guitar performances, and big dinners around a table. 

Wilbur woke up just as the wagon came to a stop, and he reached up and stretched, yawning. Phil chuckled softly. “Just in time.”

“I’m never late!” Wilbur says with a soft smile. 

Sapnap raised an eyebrow, seeing that ahead was just forest, and he leaned in to whisper to Dream. “Didn’t you say they lived on a farmhouse?”

Dream nodded and smiled. “You’ll see.”

The barrier opened and the wagon passed through, and Dream laughed as Sapnap’s eyes opened wide. 

“Holy shit.” Sapnap breathed.

“Same reaction as mine.” Dream says with a smile. 

The wagon pulled into the stables, and Wilbur and Phil got out, followed by Sapnap and Dream. 

Dream took George into his arms gently, with an arm under his knees and a hand behind his head. He wanted to make sure he was holding George firmly, since he had no idea when the Prince would wake up.

Sapnap looked at Dream and George, and Dream heard him lightly scoff. Strange. 

Ahead, Dream saw the farmhouse door fly open, and out scattered Tommy and Tubbo. They laughed and grinned their entire run to the stables. A bit behind them, and walking, was Techno, who had a content smile on his face. 

Techno and Tommy stopped at the stables, grinning, but their smiles slowly fell.

“Who the hell are you?!” Tommy blurted out, staring directly at Sapnap. 

“Tommy-! Don’t be rude!” Phil scolded, and Sapnap giggled. “This is Sapnap. He’s a close friend of Dream’s that we met in the city.” 

Tubbo was staring wide-eyed at George. “No way…..is that…?”

“The Prince?” Techno asked, raising an eyebrow.

Dream nodded. 

“Holy fucking shit! Did you guys kidnap the _Prince_?!” Tommy exclaimed, his grin returning. 

Wilbur smiled. “Yeah, pretty much.”

Tubbo and Tommy made a noise of shock whilst Techno laughed. 

“You three know what happened, right?” Dream asked as they made their way down the cobblestone path to the farmhouse.

“What caused you to be stuck in the city? Yeah, Dad told us in the owl he sent.” Tubbo nodded, opening the farmhouse door for Dream.

“You guys absolutely need to tell us about how you captured the Prince. Right fucking now.” Tommy said eagerly. 

The family filed into the living room. Wilbur took his beanbag, while Phil and Techno to their respective armchairs. Tommy and Tubbo plopped down on the couch, and normally Dream would join them, but he realized there wouldn’t be room for him, Tubbo, Tommy, Sapnap and George. 

Dream was going to prop George up and sit on the floor beside the couch, but upon seeing that he’d have to sit beside George, Sapnap quickly opted to sit on the ground. 

Dream attempted to prop George up into a seated position, but George’s limp body tilted over, and his head propelled itself back into Dream’s lap. So they stayed that way.

“Don’t you think we should tie George up? So that he doesn’t like, go berserk when he wakes up.” Sapnap asked.

Phil gave Sapnap a look. “I-No! Of course not! He’s royalty!” 

“What? Dude, he literally tried to arrest you guys.” 

Phil narrowed his eyes. “Sapnap, as much as I appreciate and have nothing against you, based off of what you told me, the Prince had _very_ good reason to respond the way he did.” 

“We kidnapped him. Tying him up would be the least bad thing we’ve done.”

“No.”

“Whatever.” Sapnap said with a shrug, looking down at his nails. 

“Okay, could you guys _please_ tell us how you kidnapped the Prince? I am literally going to die if I don’t find out.” Tommy said, and he was practically bouncing in his seat. 

The formerly tense atmosphere that was created in the room was quickly replaced with a fun one as the four men explained how they kidnapped the Prince. Tubbo and Tommy tried to reenact Dream and George arguing (which made Dream laugh quite hard), and Sapnap refused to tell his side of the story seriously. 

They all laughed at their silliness, and the absolutely otherworldly situation they were in. 

Until, that is, Dream felt movement in his lap. 

Quickly pressing a finger to his lips, Dream silenced the whole room. They all stared with wide eyes at Dream’s lap. 

A light groan and a familiar voice seemed to float through the silent room. 

“...Where am I?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sooo what do we think? based off of the comments on the last chapter, a lot of you guys were expecting that to go poorly haha! don't worry, if you crave angst and suffering, you'll get it soon enough ;) comments and kudos are always appreciated!! trust me i see each comment, i just don't always know how to reply! see you guys <3


	9. Watched

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi everyone!!! i didn't think i was going to update today, but here i am! in all my glory! this chapter isn't as long as i thought it was while writing it, but there's a whole lot of shit going on, so maybe that'll make up for it's length :) also, at the time of me writing this, we're at over 2k reads and have over 200 kudos!!! holy shit!!! thats incredible! thank you so much for the support, it really encourages me to keep writing. anyways, enjoy!!

“...Where am I?”

George sat up and looked around the room, and once his eyes came to Dream he went pale. 

“N-No…” He stammered, and seemed to move away from Dream, which was difficult as the armrest of the couch prevented him from moving any further back.

“Now, your majesty, I’m very sorry for the shock this may cause but-” Phil began, but George jolted out of his seat. 

“You fucking kidnapped me!” George yelled, pointing a shaker finger at Dream. 

“Your Majesty,” Phil said, his tone more firm. “I understand this may be a frightening situation, but if you could take a seat, I could explain to you that we mean no harm.” 

George’s gaze switched rapidly between Dream and Phil, before he sighed and took his seat beside Dream again. “I have nothing better to do.”

“Thank you, Your Highness. I have already explained Dream’s predicament to you, but I may repeat myself if you cannot remember.”

George scoffed. “I’m not an idiot, I know that was all bullshit. Just tell me what you want from me.”

“George, it isn’t bullshit.” Dream’s eyes widened as he looked to Phil, who had his arms crossed. Phil’s voice rarely got this cold, and to Dream, it almost felt sharp. “Why we need you is because you’re a key part of Dream’s memory. Without you, we cannot bring his memories back, and Dream will die not ever truly knowing or remembering what he did to anger you.” 

George was silent for a moment, before turning to Dream. “...You seriously can’t remember?”

Dream nodded, and George bit his lip, turning back to Phil. “Alright. I believe you.” He finally said, and Phil smiled. 

“Thank you so much, Your Grace.” Phil said, bowing. George nodded, but his expression was cold. He seemed to be deep in thought.

“Ah, my apologies. None of us have properly introduced ourselves to either you or Sapnap.” Phil said, standing upright again. Sapnap looked up at the mention of his name.

“My name is Phil, as you both may know. This is my eldest son, Wilbur. Over there are Tommy and Techno.” Phil gestured to each of his sons as he said their names, and they gave half-hearted waves.

“I’m Tubbo!” Tubbo said, rather too excitedly. He wouldn’t peel his eyes off George. 

“Wait….did you say…...Tubbo?” Sapnap said, his voice light. His eyes were wide with shock. Tubbo gave him a confused look and a nod, and Sapnap exhaled. “I….holy fuck…” He placed a hand on his temple and rubbed. “This...This is all way too much to handle right now.”

Phil extended an arm. “We can discuss this later. Boys, please head upstairs and clean the guest bedroom which will be George’s.” 

Dream, the brothers and Sapnap all went upstairs, leaving Phil alone in the living room with the Prince. 

“Today is so full of surprises. I don’t think I’ve been in the guest room for a few years now.” Tubbo remarks as the group clammers upstairs. 

Techno slowly opens the door to the guest room, and they are all immediately met with dust, which sends them all into a coughing fit as they file into the room. 

“I don’t think _anyone’s_ been in this guest room for a few years.” Wilbur says mid cough, scrunching his eyes and waving in front of his face as if it’d clear the dust. 

The room was incredibly dark, as black out curtains kept all the light out. Wilbur grabbed the curtains and pushed them aside, sending light streaming into the room and dust billowing. Seeing the room in the light just showed the group more of how dirty and ancient-looking it was. 

“Why has no one been in here?” Dream asks as he takes a rag to the dresser in the corner of the room, wincing when he looks at all the grime the previously white rag had collected.

“I dunno. Dad said it was for special occasions, if we went in here we’d get in trouble.” Wilbur says, helping Techno take down the curtains to wash them. 

“I think it’s haunted.” Tommy said firmly. The tall blonde bent down, allowing Tubbo to sit on his shoulders. He stood, and let Tubbo dust away cobwebs that formed in the corners of the ceiling. 

Sapnap snorted. “I wouldn’t be surprised if it was haunted.” Dream looked over to Sapnap with a smile, to see that Sapnap was carefully watching Tubbo. He shook it off. Sapnap seemed to be watching everyone. Dream desperately wanted to know what was on the ravenette’s mind, but now wasn’t the time. Sapnap was evidently tired and overwhelmed as is. 

After cleaning all the furniture, the group stripped the bed and replaced the bedding, also replacing the curtains. They took the dirty bedding and curtains downstairs to wash it. 

As they walked downstairs, Phil and George paused their quiet talk. Phil looked to his sons and the two other boys and smiled. “Thank you!” He called after them as the group walked out of the house. Dream noticed George watching him. 

As they stepped out and began to fill up an iron bath to wash the fabrics, Dream took note of the flower garden. Specifically, the small multi-colored blossoms Dream remembered from his nightmare. He pointed to them. 

“Begonias? I didn’t know we had them.” He asked Wilbur, who nodded. 

“We have a wide array of flowers. You said you saw begonias in a dream, yeah?”

Dream nodded, and Wilbur smiled. “We can finally research those once we finish washing these.” 

Techno called the two over to where they had filled up the bath. Dream and Wilbur walked away from the flower garden and towards where the other four were, arms full of grimy fabrics. But, as they walked away, Dream kept his eyes on the flowers. In a way, it felt like they watched him back. 

Wilbur and Dream dumped the fabrics into the iron bath and began to scrub, all of the boys collectively making sounds of disgust as the dirt and dust seeped out of the material and turned the water a murky brown. 

They scrubbed until the sheets were white and pristine and the curtains looked brand new. Tubbo and Tommy carried the bath away and dumped the water out, while the other boys carefully took the soaking wet fabrics and hung them out on a clothesline to dry. 

Sapnap sighed with a smile. “That was more work than I thought it’d be!” Dream chuckled. 

Soon enough Tommy and Tubbo came back, and their pants seemed to be entirely drenched in dirty water. Wilbur folded his arms at the sight, but Tommy and Tubbo went right past him, going back into the farmhouse and muttering something about needing to change. 

Wilbur sighed, before noticing how the mood had suddenly changed. Techno was silent as always, focused on the wet curtains. Sapnap watched Tubbo disappear into the house, the look in his eyes indecipherable, yet solemn. Dream was biting his lip, looking down at the dirt and playing with his hands. So Wilbur spoke, and made an attempt to lighten the mood. “I can’t stop thinking about how awesome our escape out of the city was.” 

Dream laughed, “Oh my god, it was totally nerve racking. I think the only super awesome thing about it was Sapnap’s frying pan save.” 

Sapnap grinned, his former expression vanishing as if it was never there. “Oh, _finally_ I’m receiving proper praise.”

“Where’d you even get the frying pan?” Techno asked, squeezing the curtains dry. 

“Well, whilst I was sneaking around in the castle, I stumbled into the kitchen, where I decided it would be best to gather supplies. I was looking for a knife, but I just couldn’t find one, so naturally I took a frying pan.” Sapnap explained.

Techo snorted, a smile on his face. “‘Naturally’, you say.”

“Well, yeah-!” Sapnap yelled defensively, while Wilbur and Dream laughed. “Guys, stop laughing! It worked out!” Sapnap huffed. 

Eventually, they finished hanging the wet fabrics and went back into the farmhouse. Phil was now in the kitchen, and George was seated at the dining table, a mug in his hands. 

George looked up at Dream, but then quickly glanced back down, suddenly appearing very interested in the contents of his mug. Dream shrugged it off as Phil spoke. 

“Thank you all so much! Especially you, Sapnap. I feel a little bad for immediately making you do chores.” 

Sapnap waved his hands in front of him, a polite smile on his face. “Oh dude, no worries! It’s the least I can do to repay you.” 

Phil returned the smile. “I’m nearly finished with dinner. Can you believe we missed two whole meals?” Phil said, shaking his head with disbelief, as he got dishes from out of a cabinet. 

“I never noticed how hungry I was until now!” Tommy said, bounding downstairs two steps at a time. Techno rolled his eyes. 

“Oh come on, I made us breakfast. You missed only one meal.” 

“A meal missed, nonetheless.” 

As everyone filed into the kitchen to grab a plate and seat themselves, Dream noticed Sapnap whisper something to Phil. Phil seemed to consider what he said for a moment, before nodding. Sapnap thanked him and went to the table. 

Dream walked over to George, almost by instinct, and nearly sat himself down beside him, but he noticed George tense as he approached. So, he settled sitting a chair away from him. Phil took the empty seat between the two, and Sapnap took the seat on Dream’s left, giving Dream the biggest damn smile Dream had ever seen. 

Tubbo practically flew to the seat on George’s left before Wilbur could sit down in it, and naturally Tommy took the seat beside Tubbo. Wilbur groaned. 

“So you’re really a Prince?” Tubbo asked, his eyes sparkling with curiosity and his tone full of wonder. 

“U-uh, yeah.” George said nervously, giving Tubbo an awkward smile. 

“I once read that the Royals have really extravagant dinner parties every night, is that true?”

“U-Uhm-” George stammered nervously. Dream felt himself smile a bit.

“When you go back to the palace, can me and Tommy go to one of those parties?” Tubbo was leaning in so close to the Prince it looked as though he might just up and fall out of his seat.

George sighed and forced a smile. “Sure.” 

“Yes!” Tommy and Tubbo exclaimed, drawing out the “s” until it was just a hissing sound. 

“On that note!” Phil said, setting food down on the table. “Let’s eat!”

Everyone began to pile food onto their plates, eating quietly. All except for George, that is. He placed a small amount of potatoes and greens onto his plate, and just stared at it, hands folded in his lap. 

“Your Majesty, are you not hungry? You’ve had quite the day.” Phil said, setting down his fork and wiping his mouth. 

George sat still, seemingly letting Phil’s words process, before shaking his head. “I’m actually quite tired. I...I think I’ll head to bed now.” 

Tommy shrugged. “I call dibs on George’s potatoes.” 

Phil gave Tommy a glare, and Tommy gave him a mischievous grin back. Phil sighed and turned his attention back to the Prince. “Of course, Your Highness.” 

Dream feels Sapnap reach behind his chair and Phil on the shoulder. Phil glances over at Sapnap and makes an O shape with his mouth, as if remembering something. 

“Dream, would you show the Prince to the guest room?” Phil says politely. 

_Naturally I am sent up alone with the dude who allegedly hates me,_ Dream thinks to himself, but he nods. Not like he could say no. 

So, he and George stood, and made their way to the stairs. As they left the dining room, Dream could hear Sapnap begin to speak in a hushed tone. He didn’t bother listening in. 

George walked silently behind Dream, and once they made it to the second floor, Dream pointed to the guest room door. “So, yeah. That’s your room. You’re in there alone. Me and everyone else are just down that hallway, and Phil’s room is down the other hallway.” Dream points to each hallway as he speaks. 

George simply nods. 

_Damn, he seriously doesn’t want to talk to me._

Dream sticks his tongue in his cheek and begins to walk back to the stairs, before feeling a tug on his sleeve. 

George grabbed it. 

“Thanks. For showing me up, I mean.” George said. His eyes seemed to wander across everywhere except Dream’s face. 

“Oh. Uhm, no problem.” Dream said awkwardly, smiling a bit. A smile George did not return. 

They stood in silence. 

Dream wants to say something, but he doesn’t know what. He doesn’t know how George feels about him anymore, and they have virtually nothing to talk about since Dream can’t talk about his past. So, he settles for something he hopes George would want to hear. 

“I’m sorry.” 

George finally looks up at Dream. 

“You’re sorry?”

Dream nods. “I….I’m not sure what I did. I can’t remember how I betrayed you, or what I did to make you hate me, but I know it was bad enough. And I just want to say I’m sorry. For, you know, making things hard for you. And kidnapping you, and stuff.” 

George pauses for a moment, chuckling lightly. “You know, had it not been under these circumstances, I’d be thanking you for kidnapping me.”

A smile tugs on the ends of Dream’s mouth, and they’re silent once more.

“And uh, about your apology.” George inhales deeply, and then sighs. “I can’t accept it.”

Dream’s heart drops from his chest to his feet. “It’s okay, I understand.” 

“It’s because you can’t remember. I don’t think I can accept it when you don’t even know what you did.” George says, and Dream looks up. “So, I guess, apologize to me after you get your memories back. Just so that I know that you actually feel bad about what you did.” 

Dream nods. He shoves his hands in his jean pockets. George plays with his fingers. 

“Can...Can I hug you?” George suddenly asks. 

Dream’s eyebrows practically fly to his forehead, and color springs onto George’s cheeks. “I’m sorry, that's sudden, I literally called you a monster yesterday, I honestly don’t know why I asked. It's just cause-oh shit I can’t tell you, right?” George sped through his words nervously. 

“You can hug me.” Dream says, taking his hands out of his pockets and extending them.

George’s face is in Dream’s chest within seconds. 

They stand like that for a moment, before George lets go and promptly turns to face the door entirely. Dream takes that as his queue to begin to walk away. 

“Goodnight, Your Majesty.” He says. 

George turns to face Dream, a genuine smile on his face. “Just George is fine.” 

He disappears into the guest room as Dream goes downstairs. 

-

Dream goes downstairs smiling gently to himself. But his smile falls as he sees the faces of everyone in the dining room.

They all looked incredibly solemn, and once Dream stepped into the room, the atmosphere just got more unwelcoming. 

Upon seeing Dream, Tubbo immediately stood up and took his plate away, followed quickly by Tommy. The two darted upstairs. 

Dream sat down in the seat he had sat in before. No one looked at him. He ate in silence. 

Soon enough, the other two brothers finished their meal and went upstairs without a word. That left Phil, Sapnap and Dream alone in the dining room. 

“Sorry for the sour atmosphere.” Phil said with a half-hearted smile. Dream returned it, though it wasn’t genuine. 

Phil and Sapnap quietly discussed were Sapnap would sleep that night, and Dream was caught in his thoughts. He had somewhat made things up with George, but something had happened in the dining room whilst he had been gone. It was a win and a loss, all in the same night. 

“Ah, Dream.” Phil pulled Dream out of his thoughts. “I think I’ve gathered enough information about you to do the spell either tomorrow or day after tomorrow.”

More big news.

It only upped Dream’s stress. 

Dream smiled and thanked him, and Phil put his plate away and vanished upstairs. 

Dream and Sapnap couldn’t even manage a conversation as the two finished their meals.

Dream went to bed that night without hearing the regular chorus of goodnights from the brothers, and feeling anything but peace as he slipped away into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i really hope you liked it! i'm a little self-conscious in my writing, and as the plot escalates i want to make sure that it doesn't feel rushed or like there's too much going on at once. english grammar is incredibly confusing, but i'm getting the hand of descriptive words and metaphors and such. im not 100% sure i will update tomorrow! i myself am not american, but i'm with american family (and friends) at the moment, so we intend to celebrate thanksgiving (while maintaining guidelines! the pandemic is still a big issue in america). cause of that, i don't know if i'll have any time to write or update. chapter ten is barely started at the time of me writing this, and there's a lot to cover. on a different note, please tell me your theories!!!! there's a lot of different paths the story can take. comments and kudos are alwayssss appreciated, i love interacting with everyone who reads this. see you guys! <3


	10. Bittersweet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy thanksgiving everyone! i know i said it'd be unlikely that i'd update today, but i finished this chapter a lot faster than i thought i would, and was eager to post it. consider it a thanksgiving gift. i'm very thankful for all of you who have read and are reading this story! i never thought it'd grow as much as it has. i love you all! enjoy <333

Dream woke up last. 

The room was empty when he awoke, except for Techno, who was making his bed. Dream yawned and stretched upwards. 

“Mornin’. Everyone’s downstairs.” Techno said, not looking up. 

“Everyone? Am i seriously the last one up?” Dream asked sheepishly, getting out of bed and tossing the covers around so they looked somewhat presentable. 

“Everyone except for the Prince, I think. I haven’t seen him leave the guest room.” Was Techno’s response. 

Dream thanked him and left the room. He was going to go downstairs, until he quickly remembered dinner from last night. The way it felt like everyone was avoiding him, almost. So, he opted to check in on George. 

Dream walked down the hallway and knocked on the door George was supposedly behind. 

“One second!” George’s voice rang out from behind the door. Dream waited a moment before the door opened to reveal George, still in his clothes from the day before. 

“Morning.” Dream said with a smile, which George wholeheartedly returned. 

“Good morning.” 

The two made their way to the stairs, quiet, but not tense. Their relationship seemingly relaxed from the day prior, and that made something deep within Dream happy. Dream felt calm around George, and judging based off of George’s current demeanor, he felt safe around Dream as well. 

“You’re the last one up.” Dream said teasingly, a playful smile on his face. 

George gasped. “Am I? Shit.” 

“Nah, I doubt it’s a big deal. We’re relaxed here on the farm.” Dream said, and George flashed him a giant smile. 

It was a strange change in atmosphere, that almost seemed to have happened too fast. Two days ago George was screaming for guards to arrest Dream, and now they two of them were talking like old friends. Which they probably were. Dream couldn’t remember. 

In a way, Dream almost thought George had wanted this. A friendly relationship with Dream. It made Dream wonder if this was the way they used to be, before Dream had “betrayed” George. But that was just confusing. The way they talked and joked and teased one another was just so _nice_ , Dream couldn’t begin to come up with a reason as to why he’d want to throw it all away. 

As they walked downstairs, all eyes were on them. Some were soft gazes, like Phil’s, smiling a bit to himself as he watched George and Dream playfully banter. Some were the opposite, like Sapnap’s, a scowl painted across his face. Either way, Dream and George noticed the attention they were getting and quieted down, making their way to opposing sides of the couch. 

Dream plopped down beside Tubbo, as he had done days before, and felt Tubbo tense beside him. He gave Tubbo a concerned look, but Tubbo simply smiled back at him. 

They all shared good mornings, and Dream bit his lip as he felt the energy in the room grow more tense. Phil seemed to notice too. 

“I’m going to dedicate today to finishing my studies on the counter spell. We have everything planted and ready for the next harvest, so we don’t really need to do any work in the fields, so you boys are all free to do as you please today.” Phil says with a smile. Tommy does an air punch, and Wilbur smiles. 

“Will you need any help studying?” Techno asks, and Phil shakes his head. 

“It’s not necessarily something I can be helped with, although I appreciate the offer. If any of you would like, I can explain the spell process so we can all be familiar.” 

Everyone nodded, and Phil shifted in his seat. 

“Alright. So, basically, I’ll be merging Dream’s subconscious with his conscious, which should be easy, as they are connected by pretty much a thread at the moment. Dream will go unconscious for a bit, as he’ll relive a lot of his key memories. I’ll be there, checking in on his thoughts and making sure everything is going smoothly.” Phil explained. 

Dream swallowed hard. Reliving his memories sounded absolutely _terrifying_. Would he relive what he did to George? The thought made him shiver. 

The other brothers asked a few questions, but Dream could barely hear them. This spell reminded him of mind probes, and mind probes reminded him of threats, and threats reminded him of-

“-ream?” Dream snapped back to reality as his name was being said. “Dream? Do you have any questions?”

“Oh, Uhm-No. None at all.” Dream said, shaking his head. Phil nodded, although he looked doubtful. 

“Okay, I don’t want to hold you boys here for much longer, so if you’d like to go out and do your own things, off you go!” Phil says cheerfully. 

“The sky’s perfect for cloud watching, you know!” Tubbo said as the group made their way outside. 

“But cloud watching sounds so _boring_.” Tommy groaned.

“I actually think cloud watching doesn’t sound too bad. We all seem kinda on edge, maybe something fast-paced wouldn’t be good right now.” George said quietly, and Tubbo grinned at him. 

Tommy rolled his eyes. “Sure, whatever you say, _Your Majesty_.” His tone was teasing, and Wilbur snorted beside him. George turned a light shade of pink, crossing his arms and looking down at the ground.

Yet, they all found themselves walking towards the hill anyways. 

Dream plopped down on the soft grass, tucking his hands behind his neck. He heard the grass shuffle beside him and he looked over. 

George sighed deeply, resting his hands on his stomach and closing his eyes as he laid down. 

“You have seriously put the past behind us, haven’t you, Your Majesty?” Dream said with a snicker. 

“I told you, just George is fine. And don’t make me start hating you again.” George warned, but Dream could see the ghost of a smile on his lips. “Plus, you’re the only person I really know here.”

Dream smiled and looked back up at the sky. He was content with George’s response. 

The grass shuffled on his other side, and Dream heard Sapnap yawn loudly. 

“Did you sleep at all last night? You’ve been yawnin’ all mornin’.” Tecno said from somewhere above Dream. 

“Bro, I _barely_ fucking slept. Too much on my mind.” Sapnap whined. 

“Me too.” George said quietly. 

“Didn’t ask for your input, Princey.” Sapnap retorted. 

Dream fought back a laugh as he heard Wilbur, Techno and Tommy burst into laughter. Dream could practically feel George heat up beside him. 

“Now now, Sapnap. Be nice to His Majesty.” Dream mock scolded, and Sapnap laughed. 

“Gods, you’re insufferable-!” George groaned. 

The laughter slowly died down, and the group was left quietly watching clouds.

“Dream, what do you think about the counter spell?” Wilbur asked quietly. 

“What do you mean?”

“Well, like…..are you scared?”

Dream thought for a moment, thinking of the best possible response. 

“...Yeah. I’m a little scared.”

Dream heard Sapnap turn to face him.

“I’m gonna relive all my memories, including the bad things I’ve done. I…..I’m not sure I wanna.” 

“You mean, you’re unsure if you want to do the counter spell?” George asked softly, and Dream nodded. 

“No!” Tubbo and Sapnap said simultaneously. Dream looked up at Tubbo, confused, and Tubbo seemed to shrink away under his gaze, looking back up at the sky. 

“I mean-!” Sapnap began, and sighed. “Dream, you had a whole life before this. Don’t you wanna know the good things that happened? And be able to truly remember them?”

Dream stammered. Sapnap had a point. There was so much he was eager to find out about himself. 

“But, let’s look at it from Dream’s perspective. He knows he did something to hurt me. And since he and I are better now….well wouldn’t you want to start over too?” George said. George also had a point. 

“That’s kind of selfish of you, George.” Sapnap said. His eyes are dark. 

“I-What?” George says, his tone surprised. 

“You want Dream to stay oblivious to his past just so you can rebuild your friendship with him? When you know, his quote-unquote ‘betrayal’ was just him doing what he needed to do?” 

“It’s _not_ selfish. If you want to talk about selfishness, let's look over your reason.” George spat. “And why does Tubbo want Dream’s memories back anyway? Tubbo didn’t even know him.” 

“Stop talking about shit you don’t understand!” Sapnap said, his voice raising. Tubbo’s already oversized sweater looked ten times bigger than it did before as he curled up into it. 

“Stop-Stop! Stop fucking arguing!” Dream said breathlessly, sitting up. He cast a bitter look over the group. Techno was aimlessly picking at blades of grass. Wilbur had his eyes closed and his beanie pulled over his ears. Tubbo had practically vanished in the fabric of his sweater, and Tommy seemed to be watching him closely. Sapnap and George death glared at each other. 

So Dream got up and walked away. 

If they wanted to argue about the things they weren’t supposed to talk about, they could do that when Dream was gone. 

Dream kicked rocks along the path as he walked through the orchard. 

How had his time at the farm gone sour so fast?

He missed when it was simple. 

He missed pranks, picking peaches and apples, breakfast and lunches and dinners full of laughter. 

He missed saying goodnight in chorus with everyone. He missed walking at ungodly hours of the night. He missed cooking. 

He had no memories, and yet he had made so many here. 

Sapnap was right. He had a whole life before this. Twenty-one years behind him. Naturally he would have bad memories somewhere. But he must have good ones too, right? He wanted those memories back. He wanted to remember his friendship with Sapnap. He wanted to be able to look at Sapnap with the same fondness Sapnap had when looking at Dream. 

But, George was right too. He didn’t really want to know the wrong things he did, and have to live with the guilt of them. This was an enormous opportunity. He could start over. He and George had their past behind them. Dream was practically brand new. 

He would regret it, no matter which path he chose to take. 

Dream paused, realizing that he had walked all the way to the other end of the border. He looked at the milky bubble surrounding the farm, and the forest he could see behind it. 

Behind that forest, miles away, was the beach he woke up on. 

Somehow, fate had taken him to Tubbo. 

And then to the rest of the family. 

Then Sapnap.

Then George.

Everyone who had appeared in his life had seemingly been intertwined. They had relationships beyond their meetings in Dream’s head. Dream wanted to know what was going on. 

He walked back towards the house. 

Pink begonias watched him. 

Begonias. 

Dream stepped into the farmhouse. 

“Hey, Phil. You said you had a book on flower language?” Dream called into the dining room. Phil was sat behind the table, a pair of reading glasses on his nose and several books open around him. When he saw Dream, he smiled. 

“Yes! Second shelf on the bookshelf adjacent to the staircase. It’s a deep green book with gold lettering on the side.” 

Dream thanked him and made a beeline for the bookshelf. He scrolled a finger over the spines of the books, before coming across the one. He pulled it off the shelf and went over to the couch, plopping down. 

The flowers in the books were alphabetically ordered, meaning begonias would be somewhere closer to the beginning. 

_Amarilys….no...further…._

He kept flipping.

_Blanket flower...wait no, too far!_

He flipped back a few pages before landing on the one he needed. 

_Though gorgeous and coming in many hues and sizes…._

Dream felt all the air leave his lungs. 

_Begonias are a symbol of caution, warning, and misfortune._

-

“Misfortune, huh?” Wilbur said, peering into the book. 

“Here it also says that they can be a symbol of gratitude and admiration, so if George gave you them, then it probably means that, right?” Sapnap said, peeking into the book from Dream’s other shoulder. 

“Wait-you dreamt of me?” George asked from the floor, a teasing smile on his face. 

“Not the time, Princey.” Sapnap snapped, and George’s smile quickly fell. 

“Now boys, don’t fight.” Phil warned. 

“I seriously doubt these flowers mean anythin’ besides that Dream might’ve liked them.” Techno said with an adamant shrug. 

“No, Dream’s favorite flowers were roses. He told me.” Sapnap said, and Dream gave him a confused look. 

“Dude-how do you remember stuff like that?” 

“I wanted to remember so I could tease you for it.” Sapnap quipped, not looking up from the book. 

Dream closed the book loudly, making everyone in the room jump. “I’m sick of this. I’m not gonna allow a stupid flower in a stupid dream affect my decision.” 

“Your decision?” Wilbur asked. 

“Yeah, my decision to go forth with the procedure.” Dream stood and returned the book to its place on the bookshelf. “I want my memories back.” 

Dream saw Sapnap and Tubbo share a smile. Phil smiled as well. 

The whole family along with the two guests had come into the living room as soon as Dream sped into the kitchen and showed Philza the book in a slight panic. When Phil went to get the family, apparently, there was an ongoing fight. But George and Sapnap got their share, as did Tommy, who was apparently claiming to find it entertaining. 

Now, they were all back in the living room. Tense per usual. 

“When are we having lunch?” Tommy asked, breaking the silence. 

“You could more or less call it ‘linner’, it’s gonna take a while to prepare.” Phil asked, getting up and heading to the kitchen. 

Tommy groaned far too loud. 

“Well, if you’re so disappointed, you could come and help me cook. That’d sure speed up the process.” Phil remarked. Tommy vanished upstairs in seconds, and Tubbo followed closely behind. Phil chuckled quietly. “Kids….” 

Dream left the couch and stole Wilbur’s beanbag. Wilbur patted the now empty seat beside him, and Techno sat down. 

As the room fell into silence, Wilbur braided Techno’s hair. 

The room was quiet, beside the sound of pots and pans clanging in the kitchen. 

The sunset casted a orange-ish pink light over the room. Sapnap was quietly murmuring something to Techno, while Wilbur was incredibly concentrated on braiding Techno’s incredibly long hair. 

George was leaning his head against the armrest of Phil’s armchair, his eyes closed peacefully. He almost looked asleep. Dream smiled fondly. Honestly, George deserved the rest just as much as any of them. 

Dream could hear soft piano music waft down the stairs. Whether it was Tubbo or Tommy playing, Dream couldn’t tell. All he knew was that it made the environment softer, and he felt his eyes slowly begin to close. 

-

Dream was awoken by Tommy and Tubbo loudly storming downstairs, laughing loudly. 

It was dark now, the light in the house being provided by the lanterns and candles mounted on the walls. Dream saw George begrudgingly wake up as well, rubbing his neck and groaning.

“Wake up, sleeping beauty. Phil just called dinner.” Sapnap said, getting off the couch and walking towards the dinner table. Whether he was talking to Dream or George, Dream couldn’t tell. But he got up and walked to the kitchen anyway.

Dream would never get used to how quiet dinner was now. 

He had only had a few dinners with the family after his arrival, but they were always full of chatter, laughter and smiles. Now, they were practically void of all emotion. Everyone finished at staggered times, walking upstairs to wash up with very quiet thank yous. 

Dream couldn’t help but feel like it was his fault. 

Tubbo and Tommy were the first to be finished again, followed by Techno, then Wilbur, then Sapnap. 

“Hey, Sap!” Dream called before Sapnap could leave the room. “You can sleep in my bed tonight. If you’d like.”

Sapnap’s eyes widened. “Dude-seriously? But you’ll have to sleep on the couch-!”

“I’ll manage. You need sleep, dude.” Dream said with a smile. Sapnap returned the smile and thanked him before bounding upstairs. 

Eventually Phil finished, just as Dream and George did. They made their way upstairs, and Dream walked with George to his guest room. 

“Being my escort again, huh?” George said with a smile. Dream shrugged and chuckled. 

“Just wanna wish you g’night.” 

George opened the door, but before he walked in, he gave Dream a quick hug. 

“Good night, Dream.”

“Sweet dreams.” 

George rolled his eyes at that and vanished into the guest room. 

Dream walked back downstairs and pulled the covers Sapnap had used last night over him. He left his mask on. Although there was no one else in the room, he just felt safer with it on. Plus, it was only uncomfortable when Dream thought about it. The couch wasn’t incredibly comfortable, but like he had said. 

He’d manage. 

-

Dream had been sleeping for a few hours when he had been woken up by someone tapping on his shoulder. 

Dream groaned and opened an eye, almost jumping out of his skin at the silhouette in front of him. But, he quickly calmed down. 

After all, he’d recognize that fluffy brown hair anywhere. 

“Tubbo? What’re you doing downstairs?” 

Tubbo played with his sleeves nervously. “I uhm…. I wanted to ask for a favor.”

“Oh? Okay, shoot.” 

“...Promise you won’t find it childish.” 

Dream raised an eyebrow. “Ookay? Promise.”

Tubbo inhaled deeply. “Can I...Can I sleep on the couch with you tonight?” 

Dream paused. Had he heard him right? Tubbo wanted to sleep beside Dream?

“I-I’ve been having nightmares recently. And I know I could just go to one of my brothers, but I feel like they’re more likely to make fun of me or something so-” Tubbo quickly explained. 

“Hey, hey. Don’t stress it. Climb in.” Dream lifted the covers up so Tubbo could climb under them. Tubbo’s face was so bright it practically lit up the room. 

Tubbo curled up under the covers, his back pressed into Dream’s chest. Dream had an arm draped across Tubbo’s shoulders. 

“...Can I ask why you let me?” Tubbo whispered, his voice light. 

Dream smiled. “Truth be told, Tubbo….I sorta view you as a little brother, you know? So this….this feels nice. Like I have family.” 

Tubbo’s entire body tensed. 

“..You okay?”

Suddenly, Tubbo began to shake.

He was crying. 

“Y-You can’t….You can’t just say that to me..” He said between sobs. Dream quickly moved a hand to his shoulder, rubbing it gently. 

“Why?” Dream asked softly, and Tubbo heaved another sob. 

“I-I can’t tell you….memory shit…..”

Dream bit his lip.

But he was going to have to do with that. 

“It’s gonna be okay, Tubbo. Shhh, just go to sleep.” Dream continued to rub circles into Tubbo’s shoulder.

Soon enough, Tubbo’s sobs slowed until they stopped completely. Dream could feel Tubbo’s breathing even and slow. He was asleep. 

Dream sighed. 

He was going to get his memories back. 

There was no going back now. 

And he didn’t care if he’d feel like he was missing out on an opportunity to start again. 

He was going to remember his friendship with Sapnap. 

He was going to apologize to George. 

And he was going to figure out what was hurting Tubbo. 

Dream slowly fell asleep, his breathing syncing in with Tubbo’s as he gave the boy a gentle squeeze. 

Tomorrow. 

He would know tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i think the chapter title is quite fitting, based on the contents :) ah, the plot thickens! hopefully you guys enjoyed this chapter. normally, i'd put out a fluff filler before the events of the next chapter, since it sounds quite dramatic, but that isn't really needed, and you'll see why. although i have been sticking to a one-a-day type update schedule, that's definitely going to be more loose. i want the next few chapters to be perfect. this is only the beginning. thank you so much for the support!!! see you guys <3333


	11. The Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi everybody! little announcement today, i made a playlist for this au! https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1DqcuvdXjdSc8uQNWLlb0g?si=oO4SBPvVQNiUT7p8uaYsfQ , that's the spotify link if you'd like to check it out! it's partially mood music, and partially songs that i associate with the storyline itself and the oncoming events. which songs are apart of which category is for you to figure out ;) there are going to be some songs in my native language, but if i were to ever mention them in future chapters, i'd translate them for you guys! today's chapter-assigned song which is also in the playlist is stop this train by john mayer! fits the vibes of today's chapter quite well. i'd also like to note that the following chapters are going to be mostly dream's memories! i'd normally used dashes to represent timeskips, and i will continue doing that, but as to not confuse between switching to a new memory and skipping ahead in the same one, three asterisks (***) will represent a new memory! hopefully that makes things more clear. anyways, enjoy!

Dream woke up to Tubbo shifting around beside him.

As Dream’s eyes fluttered open, he expected to be met with blinding morning sun, but he wasn’t. It was rather dim in the living room, actually. 

At first, Dream worried that it was some early morning hour and he just lost all opportunities to continue resting, but when he glanced out the window, he realized it was raining. 

The sky was dark and rain drummed against the roof. Dream could even hear thunder rumble in the distance. 

Tubbo shuffled around in the covers before standing and stretching. Tubbo gasped a little upon seeing Dream awake. “Oh no, did I wake you up?” 

Dream groaned a little as he shifted to sit on the couch, stretching upward. “No, you’re good!” 

Dream let Tubbo go upstairs to change, and Dream stayed back to fold the covers and toss them to the side. After folding the sheets, he groggily walked upstairs. He heard muffled sounds coming from the brother’s bedroom, meaning the rest of them were awake. Tubbo was still in the bathroom, and Dream didn’t want to stand around waiting for him, so Dream let his feet take him wherever. 

Dream found himself standing outside the door to George’s room, as he had every morning since George had arrived at the farm. Dream knocked on the door and waited for a response. 

But there wasn’t one. 

Dream bit his lip, feeling a little tense. Surely nothing happened to George, right? Maybe he was just sleeping deeply?

Dream gently opened the door. 

George was still laying in bed, the covers thrown over him. He was facing the giant windows in the guest room. Upon hearing the door open, George shifted, looking over at Dream. His face broke into a gentle smile. 

“You can come in.” George said, amusement lacing his words. Dream realized that he had just been standing in the doorway, and he sheepishly closed the door, walking over to the bed. 

George patted the bed with his hand, and Dream laid down beside George. “What’s up?” Dream asked quietly, tucking his hand behind his head. 

George snuggled into the covers. “Don’t feel like getting up.” 

Dream quirked an eyebrow. “...Everything okay?”

George paused for a moment, a sea of thoughts swimming behind his coffee-brown eyes. George sighed. “I’m scared.” 

Dream inched closer to George. “Of what?”

George shut his eyes. “Of everything. The procedure. You’re gonna get your memories back, which is _great_ , don’t get me wrong, just…” George’s voice trailed off. 

“Are you scared I’ll change?” Dream asked softly, and George nodded. 

“Call me selfish but I…” George’s voice trailed off to silence once again. Dream let George’s words hang in the air before he spoke again. 

“I can’t tell you a lot, I know. But uhm, you and I were really close. Once. And, you’re acting like you did back then.” George said, biting his lip. “You never really changed, I guess, but…..I don’t know. I can barely say anything. I’m walking on eggshells here.” 

Dream nodded. “It’s alright. You don’t have to explain it to me. I’ll find out soon enough.” 

Silence again. George inhaled. 

“And, despite the fact that we’re okay now, you’re still wanted. You _kidnapped_ me.” George said, and Dream hissed in a breath. He totally forgot about the fact that George was here quite illegally. 

“...We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.” Dream said firmly, and George snorted. 

“Figured you’d say that.” 

They sat in the quiet, simply looking at one another. The rain poured against the ceiling, and thunder grumbled over the hills, but it was serene. Peaceful. 

Suddenly, George wrapped his arms around Dream’s waist and pulled him in close, stuffing his face in the crook of Dream’s neck. 

“I don’t want to lose you again.” George muttered into Dream’s clothes, holding him tightly. 

Dream hugged him back. 

“You won’t.” 

-

Once everyone was dressed and in the kitchen, breakfast was served. And for once, it felt somewhat normal to Dream. 

They talked and laughed, and Dream saw Sapnap and George smile at one another. He was grinning himself, finally happy to feel the warmth he first felt when he came to the farm. 

Soon enough, everyone had finished their meals, and were just sitting around the table to continue joking. Eventually the laughter died down, and everyone was sitting with content smiles on their faces, the atmosphere still buzzing.

But, they’d have to address the elephant in the room at some point. 

“Okay, boys. Today’s the day.” Phil said, casting his gaze over Dream. “I’m gonna grab books and set everything up, and I’ll give Dream some time to prepare himself. Then, we’ll get on with the counter spell.”

Tubbo raised his hand as if he was in school, and Phil nodded. “How long will the counter spell take?” Tubbo asked, setting his arm down. 

“I’m not sure. It could vary. It could last ten minutes, or three hours. It shouldn’t be excessively long, though.” Phil answered, taking a long sip of his coffee. 

It was quiet for a few beats, rain filling the silence. Phil then stood, smiling at everyone. “Let’s get ready then.” 

Phil had gone off to grab various books, and Tubbo stayed in the kitchen, boiling water for tea. Naturally, Tommy stayed alongside him. 

Dream sat down on the couch, his mind racing and his breathing deep. Sapnap sat down beside Dream, placing his hand on Dream’s thigh and smiling. Dream smiled back. 

Phil eventually returned, holding several books in his arms. Everyone sat around, leaving Dream alone on the couch. 

“Lay down for me, Dream.” Dream did as he was instructed, resting his head on a pillow. Phil knelt beside Dream, a thick book in his hand. “Okay, now, this will be easier said than done, but I need you to relax.”

That was definitely easier said than done. 

Panic had its grip firm on Dream’s mind, and his heart thrummed so hard he heard it in his ears. 

“Just focus on something that makes you happy.”

Happy.

Dream thought of the beach. Soft ocean waves lapping against the shore, the sun soft and gentle, like a blanket over his skin. 

Dream thought of saying goodnight. Sleeping peacefully below Tubbo’s bunk.

Dream thought of going on late night walks, the cold air rushing into his lungs, and billowing out of his nostrils, like smoke would out of a dragon’s. He thought of watching the sunrise with Tommy. 

Dream thought of holding Tubbo, humming him to sleep. Feeling needed and loved. 

Dream thought of the way the rain hit the roof, drumming softly. He thought of hugging George. He wondered if he had a similar memory with Sapnap. He imagined that. 

Dream felt the mask leave his face. 

“Hope that’s okay.” He heard Phil say. 

Dream nodded, almost subconsciously. His mind still trailed on through his memories. 

Phil pressed cold fingers against Dream’s temples, and Dream shivered ever so slightly. But after a moment, he felt warmth seep through his head. It tickled his brain, hugging it and squeezing it. In a way, it felt like someone took a soft felt needle to his brain, sewing it together, piece by piece. 

“Off you go.” Dream heard Phil say, but it sounded like a whisper. 

Dream’s entire body felt fuzzy, but he didn’t move. 

Slowly, his vision darkened, and his senses faded. 

His memories began to play. 

***

“Mooom, can I go see Nick?” Clay called, jumping down the stairs, taking two steps at a time. 

Clay rushed into the kitchen, sliding against the floors, looking up at his mother with an eager smile on his face. She smiled down at him. 

“Yes, of course.”

Clay did an air punch, whooping happily. He was about to run to go put on his shoes, but his mother stopped him. 

“As long as you take your little brother.” 

Clay grumbled slightly, but he didn’t really mind. He had nothing against his little brother. He loved his brother very much, actually. He’d just have to carry the toddler all the way to Nick’s house, that was all.

Clay opened his arms and his mother bent down to place the toddler in Clay’s hands. Clay tucked his arms protectively around the boy and smiled. 

“Hi Toby!” 

The toddler made a happy sound, shouting back, “Clay!” 

Clay tugged on his sneakers, grabbing his wooden play sword with his free hand and dashing out of the door. It wasn’t a very far walk to Nick’s house at all, and Clay hummed his way there, occasionally spinning just so he could hear Toby laugh. 

Clay knocked his sword against Nick’s front door, waiting patiently. He heard some shouting, and soon enough the door opened to reveal the small ravenette. He gave Dream a big toothy smile (if you could call it that, he had some teeth missing). 

“Hi Sapsap!” Clay said happily. 

“Hey! It’s Sap _nap_.” Nick, or rather, Sapnap said. “I’m glad you could come, Dream!”

“I brought Toby, Mom made me.” Clay, or maybe Dream, said as he walked into the house, taking off his shoes and discarding them by the door. 

“I don’t care. Toby’s the coolest baby I’ve ever met.” Sapnap said as the three made their way upstairs and into Sapnap’s room. 

Dream set Toby down on Sapnap’s bed, and immediately turned around, waving his sword. “En guard!” 

The two play fought for at least thirty minutes, eventually throwing their swords to the side and tackling one another. 

Soon enough, Dream and Sapnap found themselves laying with their backs down on the floor, a tired, giggling mess. 

“I’d say I won.” Dream said, and Sapnap immediately sat up. 

“No way! I totally won that!” Sapnap responded defensively. 

“We should ask Toby! He was watching!”

The two turned to the toddler, who simply giggled and rolled over. 

“You know,” Sapnap began breathlessly, laying back down. “We should come up with a totally cool nickname for Toby. Since I’m Sapnap, and you're Dream.” 

Dream thought about it for a moment. “What about….Tubbo?”

Sapnap snorted. “Tubbo? That sounds kinda dumb.”

“Tubbo!” Toby shouted eagerly, and Dream laughed. 

“See? He likes it!” 

Sapnap got up, picking Toby up and twirling him around. “Okay then, Tubbo it is!” 

-

Dream dashed back upstairs, his smile huge. “Mom said I could stay the night!” 

Sapnap cheered loudly, and Tubbo made happy toddler noises. 

The three went downstairs, where Sapnap’s mother had laid the table. They ate dinner quickly before heading upstairs and playing for many more hours, until it got dark and Sapnap’s mother came upstairs to light a candle. 

“You boys better be in bed soon, and don’t cause a ruckus while I’m asleep.” She warned, but there was a soft smile on her face. 

“Okaaayyyy, goodnight Mom!” Sapnap said, practically shoving his mom out of the room. 

Dream was curled up in Sapnap’s bed already, Tubbo in his arms. 

“Dude, what?! You’re sleeping already?” Sapnap said in disbelief. 

Dream nodded and rubbed his arms. “I’m sleepy, Nick.” 

Sapnap crossed his arms at the use of his real name. That truly meant they weren’t playing anymore. “Ugh, fine.” Sapnap said eventually, crawling into bed beside Dream. 

“G’night Sapsap.” 

“ _Sapnap!_ ” Sapnap said irritably, leaning out of bed and blowing the candle out. 

“Night.” 

-

Dream woke up sweating, Toby had crawled out of his arms, his little face contorted. He was evidently hot too. 

“Sapnap, why’s it so hot?” Dream grumbled, rubbing his eyes. 

No response.

“Sapnap?” 

Dream got up, pulling Toby into his arms. 

The scent in the air was strong, and it reminded Dream of something. Something like the fireplace in the winter time. Except, this smell was not comforting. It made Dream’s lungs feel weird. He coughed. 

“Nick?” He called out again, walking to the door. 

“Clay!”

Dream saw Sapnap standing by the front door, his eyes wide in terror. 

“Put your shoes on, now!” 

Dream dashed down the stairs, tugging on his shoes. Toby made sounds of distress, evidently not pleased with the new atmosphere. 

Sapnap flung the door open, and they two ran out onto the gravel road in front of the house. 

Dream’s eyes stung, but he couldn’t tell whether it was from the light, the smoke, or the oncoming tears. 

Down the street, the village was on fire. 

And the flames were spreading fast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> muahahaha....a cliffhanger! this chapter was fun to write. ahhh, i'm so excited for the coming chapters, you guys have no idea!!!! there are gonna be so many ups and downs....hopefully this chapter wasn't too short for you guys! some chapters might be kinda short, as i want to organize things into the buildup and then the big event. really hope you guys liked this one!!! as usual, im still @T0BYTHEWORLD on twitter! comments, kudos, theories are always always always appreciated!! see you guys <3


	12. The Meaning of Amity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI EVERYONE! oh my goodness, i'm so sorry for not updating for so long! i've been so caught up in everything '' but, i'm back!!! today's chapter covers a lot, and i'm posting a little later than what i'm used to haha. i'd like to add that none of these chapters are really proofread, so if you see a silly spelling mistake or if i accidentally used the wrong person's name, just brush it off, i'm doing my best :') also, thank you all so much for so many hits, bookmarks, comments, kudos and subscriptions!!!! it's insane!! i appreciate all the love and praise, it really keeps me going <3 hopefully you like today's chapter!

The village was in flames. 

Tubbo began to cry, though he wasn’t very old, he was old enough to recognize that this wasn’t good. Dream held him close, analyzing the situation. 

Sapnap lived at the end of the village, and Dream lived on the end already in flames. 

His heart beat faster. 

His house was definitely on fire. 

Dream was not a materialistic person. He didn’t care for fancy furniture or objects. He understood their value, but he didn’t seek after them. It wasn’t his thing. 

So has he clung to Tubbo and dashed towards the direction of his flaming home, he wasn’t planning on saving any inanimate objects. 

“Mom! Dad!” Dream screamed. The flames were lapping against his house, and the door had fallen in. Dream’s instincts took over as he ran into his home. “Mom!”

Tears poured out of his eyes, making his vision even more obscured. 

“Clay! What are you doing!?” Dream turned around to see Sapnap behind him. 

“My mom and dad-they won't respond to me-” Dream stammered through sobs. 

“We have to get out of here, it’s not safe!” Sapnap yelled through a cough, his eyes watering from the smoke. Tubbo cried in Dream’s arms, clinging to his brother’s shirt and hiding his face. 

Dream didn’t listen to Sapnap. 

He ran through the house, screaming over the roar of the flames, Tubbo’s sobs and Sapnap’s shrieks as things collapsed in the blaze. The back of the house was practically gone, reduced to ash, exposing the forest that Dream’s home had bordered. There was a figure in the dark. Dream’s heart skipped a beat as he ran out, holding Tubbo close to him. 

“Dad?!” Dream shrieked, letting hope rush through his veins like a drug. Dream soon experienced the fallout. 

The figure in the woods was not Dream’s father. The figure in question was mounted on a horse, surrounded by many other men. Their clothing glinted in the light. Speaking of light, in the hand of the horse-mounted figure, was a torch. 

Dream swore he saw a crown atop the head of the horse-mounted, pyromaniacal figure. 

He couldn’t say anything more, as there was a sharp tug on his sleeve. Sapnap stood behind Dream, desperately trying to pull him out of the house.

“It’s gonna collapse! We’ll _die_!” Sapnap yelled over the roar of the flames.

They were nearly out of the house. It wouldn’t matter if they were or weren't, though, as the entire street was ablaze. Smoke and tears obscured Dream’s vision, and his lungs screamed at him. They burned with every inhale, and Dream had to keep himself from stopping and doubling over in a coughing fit. How desperately he wanted to stop running. 

But, as the saying goes, Dream should’ve been more careful with his wishes. 

The roof above them creaked loudly, creating a loud rumbling sound as it gave way and came crashing down. Dream didn’t even have enough time to scream. 

Somehow, despite how bright the room around them was, all faded to a dark, deep black. 

-

“Son?”

Dream’s consciousness slowly returned to him at the sound of someone’s voice. His body felt heavy, especially his head, although it seemed to be resting on something. His chest felt hard and heavy, which restricted his breathing. 

“He’s breathing-He’s breathing! Move that blank from off of him!” 

The weight on his chest was lifted. It was almost a breath of fresh air, except Dream inhaled a bunch of something. He coughed. 

“Son! Open your eyes for me, boy!” 

The Dream remembered. 

The person who was standing above Dream was calling him _Son._

Dream’s eyes practically flew open (they did not, they fluttered open very slowly, but with much urgency). It was his dad, it _had_ to be. Dream wanted nothing more to be in his parent’s arms right now. 

But when Dream’s vision focused, he realized that the man standing above him was not his father. It was the Priest. 

Dream’s heart shattered. 

“Oh, my boy, thank Prime you’re awake!” The man said, raising Dream from where he was. As Dream was lifted, he noticed the weight in his arms. 

Tubbo. 

Dream’s instinct immediately yelled for him to fuss over Tubbo, but when he tried to move, he was met with a searing pain in his back. He may or may not have screamed so loud the Priest jumped.

“Oh my- _Oh my!_ Linda! Come see this!” The priest shouted with great urgency. 

Next thing Dream knew, he was in someone’s arms, still holding Tubbo and practically writhing in pain. He was set on a wagon, it seems. Gasps were heard from behind him.

“Oh my gods, that's a nasty burn.” A woman-Dream recognized her to be Linda, the nursery caretaker-gasped. “Clay, hand me your brother. We need to take care of this wound-and fast.” 

Dream was incredibly reluctant to let go of Tubbo, but he trusted Linda. She was his caretaker when he was Tubbo’s age. So, he let the unconscious Tubbo into Linda’s arms. Linda set him aside with another group of women, and Dream stayed behind. 

His back felt raw, and merely contact with the air stung. Dream sifted through his memory, stopping at the last thing he remembers. A flaming piece of the ceiling falling on him and knocking him out. Ah. Makes sense. 

Linda helped Dream take off his burnt clothing which was covered in ash, making the rest of the burns on his skin apparent. But, Linda seemed more focused on the major burn on his back.

“Okay Clay, this may sting quite a bit.”

Sting was an understatement. Dream let out a yelp as something cool and sticky was rubbed over his back. Dream thought the cold would feel nice against his skin, which still felt ablaze, but it did not. 

“Shhhh, it’ll be over soon.” Linda said softly, rubbing some sort of ointment over Dream’s burn. He whimpered, shaking violently, biting his lip. Tears quickly obscured his vision. 

“Lift your arms above your head for me, dear.” 

As Dream lifted his arms, straightening his back, he realized that his hands had been curled up into white-knuckled fists. 

Linda gently wrapped bandages around Dream’s torso. The fabric felt strange and sticky against the ointment, and along with the tender wound, it was rather uncomfortable. But, Dream’s pain faded, and that was what mattered. 

Suddenly, a big sweater was pulled over Dream’s head. Dream could feel Linda fussing with it from behind, making it sit evenly on Dream’s shoulders. 

“Okay, dear. You’re set. Be careful though! Don’t mess with your bandages!” Dream turned around to thank Linda, but her expression set him off. Her eyes were puffy and red, and her cheeks carried fresh tear stains. Her clothing was singed, and white ash peppered her dark brown hair. Dream quietly thanked her. 

Another woman, Dream’s neighbor, then approached, Tubbo in her arms, wide awake. Tubbo was sobbing, fat tears streaming down his cheeks. Upon seeing his older brother, Tubbo gasped lightly, and promptly stuck out his arms in Dream’s direction. Dream took him into his own arms quickly, cradling his brother gently, shushing him. 

“Mom…” Tubbo whimpered, and Dream froze.

Where were his parents? 

Linda let out a choked sob. 

Dream looked at her with wide eyes, a question written within them.

She nodded. 

Dream looked down at his brother. His big blue eyes still full of tears as he clung to Dream. 

Dream didn’t want Tubbo to watch him cry. 

“Nick...?” Dream asked, his eyes dry but his voice shaky. 

Almost as if on queue, Sapnap exited a charred home, a man by his side. He was crying. 

Grey met green. 

Dream got up, and he ran. 

Sapnap crumpled in Dream’s arms. 

Tubbo clung to both of them.

All three wailed. 

-

After crying for many hours, Tubbo finally fell asleep in Dream’s arms. 

The survivors of the fire had all loaded into wagons (which was quite easy, not many survived the destruction), and set off to the city. 

“I’ve never been to the city.” Sapnap murmured. His head was tucked into Dream’s chest, and his voice was raspy from tears. 

“Neither of us have been to the city.” Dream sighed. Only adults ever went to the city, and it was only for supplies anyway. It was a very long wagon ride from their village to the city. 

“It’s very beautiful.” One of the men upfront says. 

“If you’re there to sightsee.” Linda remarks, rubbing her red eyes. 

The surviving group was definitely not going to sightsee. There were no neighboring villages, and most supplies were burnt in the fire. The group’s only resort was to seek help from the King. 

Most of the drive so far had been in silence. Dream and Sapnap didn’t have the energy to play. Their throats were sore and their noses were clogged. Tubbo drifted in and out of sleep, and whenever he woke up he began to cry, so Dream had to calm him down. It was tiring. 

_Mom would have pitied me. She would’ve made me tea and told me to rest._ Dream bites back a sob. No crying now. 

“We’re nearly here!” A voice calls upfront. 

Giant stone walls come into view. 

Dream and Sapnap are in complete awe. 

Dream had always wanted to come to the city. The books made it sound so grand and royal. Knights guarded every entrance (oh how badly Dream wanted to be a knight…), and there were so many stores. People crowded the streets that surrounded a giant palace. And inside the palace, lived The King, Queen, and their son. 

_The Prince is only a little older than me...right?_ Dream finds himself imagining being a knight, protecting the Prince. That would be _awesome_. He smiles to himself, and Sapnap lightly punches his arm. 

“You look stupid.” Sapnap says with a giggle, and Dream shoves him gently. 

The two giggle and joke to themselves. 

Suddenly, the wagon comes to a halt. 

“We’re taking a quick break, get up and stretch your legs!” The baker calls from the front. 

Sapnap jolts up, a newfound energy pulsing in his veins. “Race you around those trees and back!” He says with a giddy smile. 

Dream grins, but pauses. Tubbo was still asleep in his arms, and he didn’t want to leave Tubbo cold. Dream unclipped the dark cloak he had formerly around his shoulders and draped it around Tubbo’s. He laughed to himself at the way Tubbo looked in the enormous cloak, and got up to join Sapnap. He knew the adults in the wagon would watch over Tubbo. 

Dream and Sapnap did several loops of tag through the trees, sometimes going so far off into the woods they could barely see. But they always found their way back. On their eleventh round of chase, Dream dashed ahead and saw that the wagon began to move. He gasped. Had the adults simply forgotten about him and Sapnap? 

Dream focused on the wagon, picking up his speed and dashing full throttle at the wagon. “Hurry Sapnap! They’re leaving!” Sapnap seemed to have gotten the message, as he caught up to run alongside Dream. 

Their surroundings blurred. Dream felt his throat go raw. His legs still felt sort of like jelly after his long cry. He grabbed Sapnap’s hand and jumped into the wagon. 

They successfully landed, and Dream was about to go off on the adults for not waiting, but his knees gave out. And so did his mind. 

Thus, Dream passed out on the wagon. 

-

“Dream! Wake up right now!” Dream was woken up by someone aggressively shaking him. When he woke up, Sapnap was sitting above him. 

“Where’s Tubbo?” Dream groaned, sitting up. 

“ _Exactly my point!_ ” Sapnap shouted, his gaze turning to someone beyond Dream. 

Dream quickly snapped back to consciousness, looking around himself frantically. “Where is he?!” Dream shouted, turning to look where Sapnap had yelled. 

Behind Dream sat a burly man. He smelled strongly of smoke still, and his clothes were covered in ash. “Listen, kid, I ain’t seen no toddler go and fall outta the damn wagon.” He gruffed. 

“Then where the hell did he go?!” Dream snarled back. He was not one to use the forbidden H-E-L-L word, unless he wanted a scolding from his mother, but no way the word “heck” could intimidate the giant man before him. 

The man sighed. “Bet you two are delusional or some shit….bet the kid’s fuckin’ dead.” 

“Don’t you dare say that!” Dream nearly jumped to stand, but he knew he’d just fall out of the wagon. Anger pulsed through his veins. “Linda!” 

Dream’s nursery teacher turned around. He eyes drooped and her usually bright face was dark and tear-stained. 

“Toby’s gone! We gotta turn around, I’m sure he fell out when we took a break and-” Dream began, explaining angrily, but Linda cut him off with a hand. 

“We can’t, Clay.” 

Dream sat still, processing her words. Once they all pieced together, he was nearly shaking with rage. 

“Why _not?!_ ” Dream couldn’t believe the absolute carelessness of the adults in the wagon. The _adults._ Just before they left the charred village to sit alone in its ash, the survivors had preached the need to stay together and look out for one another, as they were all they had left. And yet, here they were. They nearly forgot Dream and Sapnap, and now Tubbo was _fucking missing_. 

“I-It’s getting dark, Dream. We can’t go back, we have to hurry to the city, we can’t waste any time. We’re running out of supplies and-” Linda was crying. She was scared. In Dream’s eyes, she didn’t have the right to be. She left a two year old alone in the dark, on the side of the road. Dream could only imagine how scared Tubbo was. 

“ _I don’t care! Turn the hell around!_ ” Dream screamed. He wanted to scream, thrash, jump out of the wagon and go find Tubbo himself. He was about to do just that, even. He turned around to the back of the wagon, but slender arms made their way across his waist and firmly pulled him in. 

“Clay, we can’t. We’ve gotta press forwards.” 

Sapnap. 

Tears found their way out of Dream’s eyes. 

“I-I” 

Dream couldn’t find the words. 

Sapnap was keeping Dream in his seat. When Tubbo was out there. Alone. 

It felt like betrayal. 

It _was_ betrayal. 

Dream lets himself relax in Sapnap’s arms. 

“It’s gonna be okay.” Sapnap whispered. Dream was in Sapnap’s lap, and Sapnap pressed his cheek against Dream’s back. Dream felt a bit of moisture. Sapnap was crying into his shirt. 

Dream bit his lip.

He would find Tubbo. 

_He would not forget about Toby._

***

“You can’t let this become a habit, Nick!” 

Clay set his bag down as he walked into the living room, hearing the yelling coming from down the hall. Peering down, he saw Linda standing below Nick, looking up at him. Nick was only fifteen, but he already towered above his former caretaker, who was already growing older. Maybe it was the stress that aged her faster. 

“Yeah, yeah, I hear this from you weekly. It’s just an apple-” Clay heard Nick say casually, twirling a bright red apple in his hand. Linda snatches it from out of his palm. 

“And what about when it becomes clothes? Then jewelry? What if you start selling what you steal, Nick?” Linda yelled. Her voice was trembling with anger, while Nick stood relaxed before her, hands in his pockets, evidently a little annoyed. 

“Oh come on. We both know it won’t get to that point.” 

“We never know, Nicholas!” 

Nick sighed. “We can’t even afford apples, or any fresh fruit. Don’t you think I’m doing you a favor?” 

Linda glared at him, and Clay took the moment of silence to walk into the hall. Nick relaxed upon seeing Clay, an airy smile crossing his face. “Sup, man.” 

The two shared a mini hi-five, and Linda grumbled. 

“You shan’t steal, Nick.” Clay whispered teasingly, and Nick shoved him. 

“Get outta here, you smell like shit.” 

“Would you be a dear and steal a bath for me then?” 

“Clay.” Nick said, his voice low, but with no real venom behind it. Clay chuckled, and the two walked to the living room. Rather, a bigger room with a very beat up sofa and a very old rug. 

The home the survivors had been inhabiting for the past decade was a sort of “charity” from the King, who seemingly didn’t really care about the burnt down village. He gave them the home for free, which _was_ quite the favor, but the group still had no money, and eventually things became dire. The house had no working plumbing, and very little furniture. All the members of the household kept their shoes on when inside, as they simply couldn’t care to clean the home. 

It was a dump. 

And Clay couldn’t wait to get out. 

Clay had been working at a small repair store for a few months now as an apprentice. He bent swords back into shape, sharpened daggers, fixed carriages, etcetera. It paid him enough to get him and Nick food. That was it. 

Nick was still young, and not many places would hire someone so young unless they were needy. So, Nick read. And, Nick stole. It started from him stealing books, finding them on the side of the road, raiding the bags of old people who fell asleep outside libraries. He’d take the books home and read all day and all night. He told Clay stories of grandeur. He also told Clay true stories. Nick learned, and in a way, so did Clay. 

But, when Nick realized that Clay’s job alone wouldn’t pull them out of the dump, he began to steal _more_. Nick came home with foods, mostly fruits and vegetables, which the group had little of. He once stole pastries, too. Knowing Nick, it would definitely evolve into more. Nick was brave and ambitious, he knew he could easily get away with theft. Linda was not wrong in being worried, because Nick definitely already had plans to steal and sell. Clay was sure. 

But, Linda did overreact. Linda overreacts about everything. After the fire, she had gone a little off her rocker. Constantly fretting about everything, Linda never took breaks. She dedicated everything to a pipe dream of rebuilding the village. All she talks about is the village, and how they can rebuild it to be better. 

_It’s been ten years,_ Nick had yelled one night as they argued, _Don’t you understand? It’s ashes, and that’s all it’s ever gonna be._

Linda had responded, _Just you wait and see._

All of the money that could be spent on food was sent to fund the rebuilding of the village. 

All of it. 

So, as long as the village stayed burnt, the group stayed hungry, and Clay and Nick dreamt of escape. 

And as far as Nick and Clay were aware, theft felt like the only way out. 

-

“Hey, you up?” Nick whispered, shaking Clay’s shoulder lightly. Clay made a noise of affirmation, turning over to face Nick. 

“Whats up?” He asked, his voice groggy. 

“I met a dude today, while I was reading in the park.” Nick began. Clay Raised an eyebrow, non-verbally telling Nick to continue. “He and I talked for a bit, and…” 

Clay chuckled suddenly. “Holy shit Nick, do you have a boyfriend?”

Clay could feel the heat radiate off of Nick’s face. “What the fuck?! No!” He grumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose. Clay laughed, before pausing and shoving Nick’s ankle with his foot. 

“Okay, tell me what mystery boy is.” 

“He has connections.” Nick says slowly. 

“...To what?” 

“You’ve heard of the Dark Market, right?” 

Clay stuck his tongue into his cheek, furrowing his brow. The Dark Market was an infamous traveling market, known for being available in every city, but not a physical market like the ones in the city. The Dark Market was a market where people would sell stolen items, items that wouldn’t be available at a regular market, as well as potions, forbidden books, and practically anything that was _banned_.

“...Yes?” 

“He’s one of the vendors.” 

In every city, there was a Dark Market vendor, a person with access to the Dark Market and connections to local sellers, or ones that were willing to sell from afar. Depending on the size of the city, there could be one or ten, so the fact that one just _approached_ Nick-

“He told me that he could tell I stole the book. Something about the way I held it, like I wasn’t supposed to be reading it.” Nick said, gnawing at his lip. 

“Did he say anything else?” 

“...He asked me if I wanted to make money.” 

Clay’s eyes widened. “So he-”

“He offered me a job. As a merchant in the Dark Market.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> soooo....how we feelin? i should clarify, the dark market is illegal and somewhat similar to the real life black market, but it's mostly centered around selling stolen _objects_ and banned _objects_ , much less to do with people or anything. we've finally covered how tubbo ended up at the side of the road! yaaay! if anyone's questioning how he really got there, he probably saw a leaf in the wind or something, followed it and fell out of the wagon lol. he's still quite small! also, in the first memory, sapnap is 5 whilst dream is 7 :) i hope you guys also enjoyed the dumb little DreamSMP references i included! yes, prime is a religion in this haha. i'll try and upload the new chapter soon, i promise! in the meantime, leave me comments and kudos, i craveeee them. as well as your theories!!!! they're all incredible, i love seeing how you guys analyze the clues i've given out. see you guys <33


	13. The Dark Market

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello hello! how are we all doing on this fine evening? hopefully good! i've got a new chapter for you all! things are really starting to build up now......but story aside! oh my gosh, thank you sosososososososo much for all the love! i get all giddy whenever i see all of your kind words!!!! i love you all so much <3 hopefully you enjoy this chapter!

“He offered me a job. As a merchant in the Dark Market.” 

Clay laid, staring wide-eyed at Nick. Absolutely stunned. 

“No way.”

“Yes way! He called me sneaky. I told him about all the books I stole, he said it was impressive. He said I’d fare well as a thief, and I could make a lot of money.”Nick said. His expression was giddy, and his teeth seemed to shine in the moonlight. 

“Nick, do you realize how dangerous that is?” Clay said, his voice flooded with disbelief. “The Dark Market is like, beyond illegal. You could get arrested, or meet the wrong people, or-”

“Don’t you get it? This could be our only way out.” Nick’s smile was replaced with a more serious look. His eyes shone with concern, and he bit his lip. “Linda takes half the money _you_ earn and puts it into that lost cause savings account. Yahn’s an alcoholic, and I have no fucking idea what Fern does. Everyone else has left. It’s only you and me.” 

Clay’s silent. He gnaws on his lip so hard he tastes a little blood. “Say we do become merchants in the Dark Market. What could we sell? We don’t have anything of grandeur and people won’t buy fruits they can buy legally and cheap-”

“Clay, you’d still keep your job.” Nick said, a smile tugging at his lips. “You know how nobility bring in those trophy swords to your place to fix and then just totally forget about them?”

Clay raised an eyebrow. That definitely did happen, Lords and Ladies would bring in very expensive items made from expensive metals, and then just completely forget to pick them up once Clay had finished. 

“Who says you can’t just take those? They’re long since forgotten.” Nick said. Clay’s eyes widened. 

“Nick- I _can’t_! If I get caught, I’ll be fired immediately. Linda will find out.” 

“Oh come on, Clay. You’re stealthy, you can take them just fine. I’m sure they’ll sell for a lot more then what you’re making at that stupid store, and if we save the money then Linda kicking us out will be absolutely no biggie.” Nick says, rolling his eyes. 

Clay flaps his hands slightly. Nick had a point, but it was stressful. The Dark Market is dangerous, they could anger the wrong people. But, it could get them a lot of money fast. They would never get out of the dump if they depended solely on Clay’s wages, and it’d be a while until Nick would be old enough to get a well-paying job. They’d already spent ten whole years here, how many more?

Nick took Clay’s hands and interlaced their fingers, smiling softly. “I don’t wanna pressure you, I know this is a lot. What do you think?” He said, his voice gentle. 

“...I think we should do it.”

-

“Clay, you’re not working overtime today, correct?” Clay’s boss asked. Clay’s boss, the man Clay apprenticed under, was very old. His hair was snow white, and his skin drooped like chocolate left out in the sun. His callused hands were working on shining a blade. 

“No sir, we haven’t made any arrangements for me to stay late today. Unless you’d need me to stay. Otherwise I’d be happy to, sir.” Clay responded cheerfully. He had already packed his knapsack and was preparing to leave, but sometimes his boss would ask him to stay overtime. Clay didn’t really mind, he’d always get a couple extra bronze coins out of it. 

“No no, go home. I’m sure your family misses you.” His boss said, waving his hand. He was under the strange impression that Clay had a family, and at first, it really got on Clay’s nerves, but over time, he realized that there’s no use in correcting. 

Clay thanked him and walked back towards the back entrance. Conveniently, the storage room was right next to the back door, so Clay could slip in and out without raising suspicion. Clay quietly entered the storage room, promptly sifting through desk drawers and cabinets until he found what he needed. 

Two small golden daggers, made of _real_ gold. They had emeralds and rubies placed in the sides. The blades shone silver, and they looked sharp enough to cut wood. Some Duke had brought them in to be cleaned and sharpened, and never returned for them. Clay scoffed as he wrapped the daggers in a cloth and stowed them away into his knapsack. Truly shows how little the nobility cares about anything. 

Clay walked out of the store, kicking up gravel behind him as he dodged carriages and wagons, making his way back to the house. He stops outside when he sees Nick. Nick smiles upon seeing Clay, bounding over to his taller friend. 

“Hey man, did you get something from work?” Nick asks as they share their usual high five. Clay nods and reaches into his knapsack, pulling out the daggers. Nick’s eyes go wide. 

“Dude...Maybe we should keep these for ourselves?” Nick asks, grabbing a dagger and turning it over in the sun. It gleamed, the rubies and emeralds reflecting a greenish-red light onto Sapnap’s face. 

Clay laughs. “You’ve said that with every single thing I’ve brought home! We don’t need these weapons.” Nick pouts jokingly, placing the dagger back in Clay’s palm, who wrapped it back up and stowed it away. 

“We have three things total now, technically four. We can see the vendor now, right?” Clay asked, and Nick nodded. 

“I actually have the other shit you brought in my bag, so we can go now.” Nick said, and Clay perked up. He wouldn’t admit it, but he was excited. Nick had seen the vendor once after their first meeting, telling him he’d take the deal. The vendor prompted them to bring at least three items of value to him in the next few days, so they did just that. 

“Let’s go!” Clay said, his tone betraying him and completely revealing his excitement. Nick giggled, and extended an arm to stop Clay from walking on.

“Hold on, I have something for you!” Nick said, digging around in his own knapsack. With a giddy grin, he pulled out what seemed to be……

A bowl? 

Nick shoved it into Clay’s hands, and Clay turned it over. 

Upon further inspection, it was definitely not a bowl. A bowl does not come with straps and a smiley face on the back. Clay grins and puts the ceramic mask over his face, fastening the metal clasp in the back and smiling. 

“What’s this for?” Clay said, surprised at how clearly he could see through the mask. 

“Vendor said anonymity is important. Not mandatory, but if you're stealing, then it’s probably a good idea. I’m not telling you how I got that, by the way. But since you’re taking shit from work, I thought you deserved it.” Nick said with a grin. 

“Thanks, man.” Clay said with a small smile, and the two shared a quick hug before making their way to the park. 

As they entered the park, Clay let Nick take the lead as he looked for the vendor. The ambience in the park was nice, it wasn’t very crowded, and the tall trees provided a nice shade. 

Suddenly, Nick pointed to a short man who was seated at a bench, his legs folded and a book in his hands. Nick dashed over, grabbing Clay’s wrist and dragging him along. 

“Hey Quackity!” Nick said, stopping in front of the man seated, he looked up and gave Nick a smile. 

“Hey Sapnap!” 

Clay gave Nick a look. Quackity was a strange enough name on his own, but Nick had introduced himself as _Sapnap_. Clay hadn’t heard the name Sapnap in forever. It had been Clay’s stupid nickname for the boy, and ever since the tragic night they were forced to leave the village, Clay hadn’t called him it again. 

“You brought your friend I see. I’d assume this is the guy you were talking about, yeah?” Quackity asked, standing and gesturing at Clay. 

Nick nodded, giving Clay a look back. Clay couldn’t read it. 

“What’s your name?” Quackity asked. 

“Cl-”

Quackity raised a finger. “I trust you’re telling me a codename, right?” 

Clay paused. “Uh, what?” 

Quackity smiled teasingly. “Well, obviously my name isn’t fuckin’ Quackity. It’s a codename. In the Dark Market, you don’t tell people your real name. Anonymity is important. I kinda thought you knew that, with that mask and all.” 

Dream suddenly became hyper aware of the mask’s presence on his face. He bit his lip and nodded. “...Call me Dream.” 

Clay saw Nick smile. 

Quackity smirked. “Alright Dream, welcome to the team. You got the shit you wanna sell, right?” 

Nick nodded. “Yup, It’s in our bags.” 

“Good. Take them off.”

Nick froze, and Quackity laughed. “I’m not gonna take your stuff, Sapnap! You look like I just violated you or something. I just don’t want anyone _else_ to steal from you, so I recommend you only bring what you’re planning to sell.” 

Clay, or rather, Dream, pulled the daggers out of his bag as Sapnap knelt down and pulled the other things Dream had stolen out as well. Quackity whistled as soon as he got a look at what the duo had brought. 

“Shit, man. I wasn’t expecting you to come so prepared.” Sapnap smiled sheepishly at that. “Don’t give me that look, Sap! It's a good thing!” Quackity reassured. 

Quackity showed Sapnap and Dream a good place to hide their things, and Dream was surprised someone affiliated with a sinister and illegal marketplace was so _nice_. It was suspicious. But, Dream liked seeing Sapnap laugh with someone other than him, so he didn’t mind. 

“Okay, now we’re ready to go.” Quackity said, cracking his knuckles. “Oh, you’re so gonna shit yourself when you see this place.” 

The duo followed Quackity through some network of dark alleyways, and Dream shivered. Not because he was scared, but because it was strangely...cold. 

“Are we gonna need to find you each time we wanna go to the market?” Sapnap asked, his voice echoing through the walls. 

“Depends. I think it’s best you come with me while you’re still new to the market. Maybe after a few months you two can start going alone.” Quackity said. 

_Months?_ Would this really go on for months? Dream swallowed hard. 

“Alright, we’re here!” Quackity exclaimed, stopping in front of a cobblestone wall, dripping with water. Sapnap made a face of confusion, but as Quackity took a step forward, Dream knew what was about to happen. 

A small _creak_ was heard, and the cobblestone before them parted to reveal two grand dark oak doors. Dream grinned and looked down at Sapnap, who looked stunned. 

“After you, gentlemen.” Quackity said, his tone mocking and pitch shifted down obnoxiously. He stepped aside and dramatically gestured to the door, making Dream laugh. 

Sapnap placed a hand on the door and pushed it open. The three entered quickly and let the door slam shut behind them, and they were met with immediate darkness. That is, besides lanterns which seemed to be posted up on various small booths. 

Dream couldn’t see how big the room was. It was pitch black except for the lanterns. Dream found himself chuckling. The Dark Market was quite…..dark. 

Quackity lit a lantern he had apparently brought with him, gesturing for Sapnap and Dream to follow him. They weaved through small crowds of hushed voices, everyone bartering for something. Dream saw a hooded figure stand before glowing bottles of various colors. He had never seen a potion in his life, as they were outlawed. He peeked at the labels on the bottle. 

_Harming._   
_Poison._   
_Strength._

“Hurry up!” Sapnap tugged on Dream’s wrist, and he turned his attention back to Quackity. 

Everyone in the space seemed to be covering their faces with masks or hoods, and only a few wore nothing. But, Dream noticed they all had something covering a specific portion of them. Quackity wore a beanie, and all his hair seemed to be tucked in, except for the slight black tufts that stuck out. Sapnap wore long sleeves and baggy pants. 

Dream made eye-contact with another masked figure, and quickly looked back down, focusing on the back of Quackity’s shoes. 

Quackity placed a lantern on a booth that was vacant, illuminating it. “Okay, here’s your booth. I’m literally right next to you, so come over if you have any questions. My tip to you guys is, keep it short. Don’t settle for anything less than what you want. And, most importantly, don’t tell _anyone_ where you got your stuff.”

Sapnap nodded and waved goodbye as Quackity walked to his booth. Dream neatly set out the things he and Sapnap had, consisting of the two daggers, a jewel-encrusted crossbow, and a very sparkly tiara. It wasn’t much, but it was obvious that the material within the items were not fake, so Dream expected them to go for a lot. 

After a few moments, a cloaked figure approached the booth and began to look over the items carefully. 

“...Where did you get these items?” The person said, their voice low and raspy. 

Dream said nothing. His stare behind the mask remained blank, and his posture relaxed. Dream could see the person’s mouth curve into a smile. 

“Not a talker, are we? No problem, no problem…” The figure looked over the items several times, before gesturing to the crossbow. “Fifteen gold.” 

“Thirty.” Sapnap said from beside Dream, his arms crossed. _Is….Is Sapnap forcing his voice to be lower?_ Dream held back a laugh. 

“Now, let’s not get too hasty…” The person spoke. Their smile became cold, sinister, even. But it wasn’t very warm in the first place. 

“Okay then. Forty.” Sapnap said calmly. Dream and Sapnap had never seen forty gold in their entire lives. That was enough to feed them for a _week_. 

The cloaked figure stood still for a moment, as if pondering, before pulling forty gold coins out of a pocket and dumping them onto the table. Sapnap slowly counted through each, confirming that there were forty. He nodded, sliding the crossbow closer to the figure. 

“All yours.”

The figure grinned, taking the crossbow and hiding it in their cloak. They bowed, their voice smooth and cold. “A pleasure.” Sapnap nodded, and the figure disappeared into the quiet crowd. 

“I thought the Market wasn’t even a physical market, and yet here we are. You, being a bartering God.” Dream whispered to Sapnap, who giggled and shoved him. 

“I just watched Quackity. Whenever he got back talk, he’d raise the price.”

“You’re like a fucking sponge.” 

Sapnap covered his mouth with a hand, muffled laughs coming from him. “A sponge?! Shut the hell up!” 

“You take in your surroundings! I totally forgot Quackity was beside us!” Dream whisper yelled, and Sapnap playfully shoved him. 

-

“Wow, you two have made quite the okay stack.” Quackity said, wandering over from his now closed booth, watching Sapnap scoop gold coins into a small bag. 

“‘Okay’? Just ‘Okay’?” Dream asked, his tone full of mirth. In total, Sapnap and Dream had racked up 203 gold coins, which was more than they had ever seen in their lives. 

Quackity nodded, pulling out a bag and shaking it. It was far larger than the bag Sapnap was filling, and it seemed to be stuffed to the brim. Quackity grinned. “All gold in this baby.” Sapnap scoffed and tied the bag closed. 

“Whatever, you were selling more stuff than we were.” Sapnap said, with no real venom behind his voice

“Yeah, don’t flatter yourself.” Was Quackity’s response. Sapnap scowled, but his eyes shone with unheard laughter. 

The three exited the dark room, and Dream’s eyes ached once they entered the dingy alleyway again. They walked back to the park, chatting quietly. 

“Hey, what do you even sell?” Sapnap asked Quackity, playing with the bag of gold in his hands. 

“Can’t talk about it outside of the Market.” Quackity said, a smirk on his face. Sapnap rolled his eyes. 

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” 

Sapnap and Dream got their bags back, and both prepared to leave and head back home. 

“So, I take it you guys are down for this to become a regular thing, right?” Quackity asked, adjusting his own bag on his shoulders. Sapnap shot Dream a questioning look, and he nodded. 

Quackity smiled. “Awesome. Meet me here again in four days time then, alright?” 

The three parted, leaving Dream and Sapnap on their own again, walking home. 

“We are _not_ giving any of this money to Linda, right?” Sapnap asked, and Dream nodded. 

“No way. This could buy us so much food…” Dream said, already fantasizing. 

Sapnap snorted. “Alright, _Clay_.”

Dream scrunched up his nose. “...I actually think I like Dream better.” 

Sapnap smiled. “I like Sapnap better too.” 

“So it’s settled?” Dream asked, a playful smile on his face. 

Sapnap looked ahead at the setting sun, his gaze soft. 

“Everything feels settled now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what do we think? i liked writing this chapter a lot, i was happy to include alex in this lol. i should add that linda, fern, and yahn are not streamers! they are just some random people i came up with because no streamers/mcyts seemed to fit the part. they won't be main characters, in fact, you guys won't be seeing linda for a while now. plot aside! my finals are coming up, so i will unfortunately need to dedicate time to studying. this is really upsetting to me personally, as writing this brings much comfort to me, and i don't want to leave you guys hanging :( but, hopefully they will go by quickly and smoothly and i can push out some more chapters! i love you all so much!!! comments, kudos, theories, ANYTHING is always appreciated! see you <333


	14. Firsts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello hello! guess who we are meeting today! this is (sort of) a filler chapter, and i'm sorry if it's a little subpar compared to my other chapters. i'm so excited to keep writing, the best chapters are yet to come, i promise! i should also add, sassyandlost wrote lyrics based off of tubbo!!!!! they are planning on writing more based on this fic, and i HIGHLY recommend you check them out!!! they are incredibly talented <3 onto the chapter!

“Everything feels settled now.”

***

Dream walked into the living, covered in dust and dirt, but wearing an incredibly bright smile on his face. Sapnap was reading something, but looked up upon seeing Dream. “Did you finish those traps?” 

“Yes! Finally!” Dream said breathlessly, walking over to the kitchen and rinsing his hands and face with water. “Redstone is so hard to work, you know. I totally didn’t know what I was getting myself into when I bought it the other day.” 

“The guy you bought it from looked sketchy, I don’t think he knew what he had gotten himself into either.” Sapnap said, looking back down at his book with an amused expression. 

“Come on, Sap. It’s the Dark Market. Everyone looks sketchy. You should know that!” Dream grabbed a towel and wiped down his face, happy to be rid of the grime. 

“Mm, thanks for reminding me of my many crimes, Dream.” Sapnap said nonchalantly, and Dream laughed as he pulled off his hoodie. 

He and Sapnap were some of the longest-participating sellers on the Dark Market. They had been stolen items for about four years now, with the strongest schedule the Dark Market had ever seen. They never missed a deadline, and always had new items to sell. Dream never imagined that their career would expand so much, or run this long. But, it had made them more money than they ever thought they could make. 

And more importantly, they had escaped. 

They found a place that was hidden in an alley, not too far from the Dark Market’s usual spot. Dream got tips on how to defend it, and supplies, and he had gotten to work to create some of the sickest traps Sapnap had ever seen. 

Dream came back from changing, plopping down beside Sapnap. They two watched the sun go down outside their window and talked about meaningless things, laughing just at making eye contact. 

Their life was almost perfect. 

For Sapnap, at least. 

-

Dream curled up in bed, shaking slightly. Sapnap cradled his head, occasionally looking down and using his thumb to wipe a tear from the elder’s pale cheek. 

“If you talk about it, it’ll make it easier.” Sapnap said softly, running a hand through Dream’s hair. Dream shivered. 

“Talking about it will make it _real_.” Dream said, his voice small. 

Sapnap sighed, but with no disappointment or frustration within it. “Was it about Tubbo?”

Sapnap could feel Dream nod into his shirt. 

“We were back at the village.” Dream started, his voice airy and shaky. “And-and-he fell into the fire.” 

Sapnap bit his lip. 

“And then it was dark. And when I woke up, he was there. B-But it wasn’t him, it was his b-b-” 

“You don’t have to say it.” Sapnap said, easing Dream into sobs. “It’s gonna be okay.” 

They laid in silence for a bit, the only sound being Dream’s sniffles and Sapnap’s soft shushing. 

After several minutes, Sapnap realized that Dream wasn’t going to get any rest like this. He glanced down at the boy in his arms, a smile on his face. 

“Would some tea make you feel better?”

***

“Hey, you're back!” Dream exclaimed as the door shut behind Sapnap. 

“Yeah! I also stopped by the food market, got us some tomatoes and a few potatoes.” Sapnap giggled a little at the rhyme, walking to the kitchen where Dream was and setting the produce down. 

“Thanks for going to the market all alone. I take it no one gave you any trouble?” Dream asks as he cuts up a mushroom and tosses it into a pot of boiling water. 

“Yeah, it was fine! Quackity helped me out a bit, he sold all his shit early. I offered to walk him home, but he said he was gonna meet with some friends beforehand.” Sapnap said, walking over to the couch and throwing himself onto it. 

Dream set all the ingredients into the water for the stew, stirring a pit before closing the pot and walking over to sit beside Sapnap. 

“Oh. Uh. Actually.” Sapnap said, his eyes fluttering open and remaining wide. Dream quirked an eyebrow, shifting Sapnap’s legs on his lap. “I met a dude. At the market today, I mean.” Sapnap said awkwardly. He seemed a little nervous. 

“...Congrats?” Dream said slowly, trying to process the direction this conversation might be taking. 

“I-No! Gods dammit Dream, you always fucking-!” Sapnap yelled angrily, running a hand through his hair as Dream burst into laughter than almost seemed like it was painful. 

“We met in terms of _business_ , and talked about business-y things.” Sapnap said, crossing his arms. Dream made a noise of assent, but it sounded teasing. His expression implied the same thing. Sapnap rolled his eyes. 

“What business-y things exactly?” Dream asked, putting his hands behind his head and leaning back into the couch. 

“Big things, actually.” A smile crept onto Sapnap’s face, and Dream gave him a look that said _Ooooh, go on!_ Sapnap set up, using his hands to talk. “So, this guy has a friend who has a friend who has connections.” 

“Connections to where?”

Sapnap grinned. “The palace.” 

Dream snorted. “What, are we going from underground criminals to knights?” 

“No-Well. Actually...Just listen. I’m getting there.” Dream raised an eyebrow at that. “This guy apparently works within a bigger store in the market, and our shit interested him, so he said that he could get us help in finding _bigger_ things to sell, and that we share a portion of the profit with him. So in a way, we combine our businesses but are still somewhat separate.” 

Dream nodded. “That sounds good. I was getting sick of stealing off of nobility anyway.” 

“You’d still be stealing off of nobility.” Sapnap said, biting his lip. 

Dream groaned, before pausing, his eyes going wide. 

“Wait. Don’t tell me you…” He slowly turned to look at Sapnap, who smiled. 

“Don’t give me that look, Dream. Don’t you realize how much money we could make? We’d be rolling in gold coins.” 

“Oh my god-I bet you're gonna tell me that I’ll have stricter deadlines, too.” 

“...You will have stricter deadlines.” 

Dream threw Sapnap’s legs off his lap and stood, pacing the room and tearing his hands through his hair. 

“Dream, come on. We can’t pass this up.” Sapnap said, shifting to sit up on the couch. 

“ _Sapnap._ Not only is it fucking dangerous as hell, but I’m gonna have _deadlines_.” Dream said, his voice full of dread. 

“Oh, you big baby.” Sapnap rolled his eyes. “We’re already criminals. Sure, it’ll be a bit more difficult, but I thought you were always in it for the thrill, for the challenge?” 

Dream paused, glaring daggers at Sapnap. Sapnap sat comfortably on the couch, his expression casual. Sapnap was right. Dream was a bit of an adrenaline junkie, always doing risky things just for the hell of it. If he viewed the deadlines as a challenge, then…

Sapnap grinned. “I knew I’d get through to you.” 

“Shut it, Sapsap.” 

Sapnap narrowed his eyes. “Them’s fightin’ words, Dream.” 

Dream snorted, pacing his way back to the couch and plopping down beside his best friend. They could make a shit ton of money. A lot more than they were making now, even with a partnership and giving some of the money to others. It could definitely turn lots of things more to their favor then they were even now. 

“...Fine. I’ll do it.” 

***

“You’re expected to bring at least one item back each time you visit the palace. Some exceptions will be made, of course. We understand the difficulty of this task, and that you may be unable to bring back something some days. But do understand that doing so will harm nothing but your own income.” Sapnap’s business partner, or so he went by “Punz”, had been explaining the basics of how Dream’s new little occupation would work for several minutes, and Dream was just itching to go into the stupid palace already. But, they unfortunately had to wait for Dream’s “escort”. 

Dream gave Sapnap a desperate look of boredom, which Sapnap returned. Almost as if on queue, the door to the room they were sat in opened, and in came a very bright looking young man. 

“Hi Lu-” He shouted into the room, towards Punz’s direction. Punz immediately shushed him and gestured to the crowd, and the stranger turned a light shade of pink. “Oh, sorry. I meant Punz! Hi Punz!” 

Punz sighed. “Hi Karl. Come over here, let me introduce you to Dream.” Punz had already explained the man’s-Karl’s- situation. He worked within the palace, and was apparently very close with the Prince. Prince...Greg, was it? Dream couldn’t remember. Either way, the only thing Karl knows about Dream is that Punz knows him via the Dark Market, and that Dream will be visiting the palace frequently. 

Karl happily made his way to stand beside Punz, who gestured towards Dream. “Here he is. Dream, this is Karl. He’s George’s personal servant, and lives in the palace. He’ll guide you around and sh-stuff.” Punz says, his voice unamused. 

“It’s really nice to meet you, Dream!” Karl said, sticking out a hand for Dream to shake. Dream doesn’t think he’s ever met someone so strangely peppy in his life. 

Dream shook the shorter’s hand. “Same to you.” 

“We’re off to the palace now, right? The carriage is still outside.” Karl asked, facing Punz again. Punz nodded, and gestured to the door without a word. 

“Come on, Dream! It’ll be a ton of fun to show you the palace, I’m sure.” Karl says, tugging Dream out. Suddenly a hand takes Dream’s other wrist, and Karl let go. 

Sapnap tugged Dream into a swift hug. Dream hugged back, resting his head on top of Sapnap’s. 

“Don’t do anything stupid.” Sapnap murmured as Dream let go. Dream grinned. 

“No promises.” 

-

Dream steps into the palace after Karl. 

“Soo, what do we think?” Karl asked, looking back at Dream as they walked through the halls. 

Grand would be an understatement. 

The floors were covered in detailed carpet, Dream could practically feel the softness through his shoes. The interior was themed dark royal blue, white and gold, as were Karl’s servant robes. Dream felt out of place with his green outfit and dopey mask. 

“It’s….” Dream began, but trailed off as he looked up to see an enormous chandelier, decorated in jewels. Karl laughed. 

“I get what you mean. Anyway, follow me. Since you’ll be sticking with me a lot, I should introduce you to the prince.” Karl said, guiding Dream to the stairs. 

Holy shit, Dream was going to meet the _Prince._ Dream heard so much about him. Everyone loved the Prince. He was handsome, soft-spoken, and talented. There was very little to dislike about him. 

Dream and Karl walked down the top floor hallway, and Dream made a confused sound as he realized that all the doors were the same. Karl took notice. 

“All the doors are the same cause of protective measures. So that no one knows where important things are, you know?” Karl said. Dream nodded, and smirked to himself. Karl was quite...trusting. It was a lot to just tell a stranger that. 

Karl stopped in front of one of the doors, and shot Dream a smile. “Don’t be nervous, you look tense.” Dream dropped his shoulders, he didn’t realize that he had tensed them. 

Karl gently opened the door. 

“Your Majesty…? I have a guest!” Karl called into the room, peeking in through the crack. 

“A-What?!” Dream heard an accent-tinted voice came out from the room. A shuffling sound was heard, and Karl giggled. 

“Brace yourself George, we’re coming in now!” 

“Karl, you nimrod! You can’t just jump in with a stranger unexpected!” The Prince shouted as Karl and Dream walked into the room. 

The Prince definitely looked like everyone described him to. 

His hair was a dark brown, matching with his eyes. His skin was pale, and he wore stupidly frilly clothes. In fact, it looked like he was suffocating in frills. Dream barely suppressed a laugh. 

The Prince turned pink. “H-Hey! You’re a stranger, you can’t just come into my room and laugh at me!” 

Karl laughed, and so did Dream. 

“My apologies, Your Majesty. It’s just-” Dream was cut off by a sharp laugh from Karl. 

“Oh, don’t even apologize!” 

The Prince sighed, folding his arms. “Care to introduce yourself, masked stranger?” He asked with a smirk. 

Dream was shocked back to reality, _Fuck, Dream! You’re meeting royalty! You just laughed at the fucking Prince!_

“Oh-er, My name is Dream. It’s a pleasure, Your Majesty.” Dream said, giving the Prince an awkward bow. It was George’s turn to giggle. 

“Alright _Dream,_ ” He said, his tone teasing. “Welcome to the palace.” 

“Dream’s gonna be hanging out with me for a while.” Karl said, almost subconsciously moving to fold something that was laying stray in George’s massive room. 

George quirked an eyebrow. “Does that mean I’ll be seeing him daily? You are personally assigned to me, afterall.” 

Karl nodded. “Something like that. Dream, could you grab that for me?” 

Dream moved over to where Karl pointed, to find a small pile of items. Dream then remembered why he was truly at the palace. He glanced around, making sure no one was looking, and pocketed two hair clips. They were silver, encrusted with gems. They’d sell for good, Dream was sure. He brought the rest of the items to Karl, who thanked him. 

After Karl was finished with his mini clean-up, the three sat in George’s room and talked quietly. It was awkward for the three at first. George and Karl were obviously close, constantly cracking jokes Dream didn’t understand. Dream was also hesitant to create a friendship with either of them, as Dream was here to steal from George, and Karl had no idea that was Dream’s real goal. 

_Wouldn’t it be best to be friendly, though?_ Dream thought to himself. _You’ll just be more suspicious if you’re closed off. George obviously isn’t an idiot, and neither is Karl._

So Dream was friendly. 

And by the time Karl was supposed to bring Dream back home, Dream and George were bickering like they had known each other for years. 

“Dream. I am _not_ short. I’ll have you know I’m average height.” George said, crossing his arms and looking up at George. 

“Of course, Your Shortness. Whatever floats your boat.” Dream said with a mocking bow. George immediately slapped Dream’s shoulder, and Dream hissed in a breath, but he was smiling. 

“Dreaaaaam, we seriously have to get back. Punz’ll kick my butt.” Karl whined, and Dream chuckled. 

“Sure, whatever. Let’s go.” He said, eyes still on George and mouth still pulled into a playful smile. 

George cheered. “Finally! He’s leaving!” 

Dream got up and walked to the door of George’s room, before pausing.

George looked at Dream, biting his lip. “...See you tomorrow?” He asked. 

Dream laughed. “Weren’t you just excited that I was leaving? Obsessed, I see.” 

“Oh my god, are you coming tomorrow or not?” George groaned, a grin on his face. 

Dream smiled and nodded. “Yeah, I’ll be back tomorrow.” 

George smiled, and shoved Dream and Karl out of the room. “Good. Now leave me alone, you nimrods!” 

Dream couldn’t wipe the smile off his face as he and Karl jumped into the carriage. He couldn’t stop grinning when he said bye to Karl. He couldn’t smack it the hell off his mouth, even when Sapnap teased him for it. 

This felt like the beginning of something. 

Something that, deep down, felt like a bad idea.

***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *kronk face* oh yeah. it's all coming together. hopefully you guys enjoyed today's chapter!!! it was shorter than what i am used to, but i need to divide the chapters more by major events so it's not tooooo cluttered, rushed and overwhelming. i am going to drown you in a rollercoaster of emotions soon, prepare thyself! thank you all soso much for the love, ill spare you the tears but i hope you all know how truly thankful i am!!!! hopefully you guys are just as hyped for the next chapter as i am. see you <33


	15. Just The Two Of Us

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> COMIN IN A CLUTCH IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT! sorry for the lack of updates!!! the fourth was my birthday, so i had spent absolutely zero time writing (to my dismay), and the following days were spent sleeping in like hell. this chapter is a little short, and we are speedrunning these memories baby (you'll see why!). guess which song todays chapter lines up with! if you don't know, try searching the chapter title in youtube! here is your friendly reminder that all relationships in this fic are purely and strictly platonic! i'd prefer no shipping-related comments are made! thank you guys :) anyways, onto the chapter!

“Going to see George again?” Sapnap asked. He was leaned against the wall, his expression far from happy. 

Dream was putting on a coat and wrapping a sweater around his neck. It was raining out, and he’d need to walk a few blocks to get to the street where Karl would pick him up. 

“Well, yeah. We need something to sell the day after tomorrow, right?” Dream said, a smile on his face. He wouldn’t tell Sapnap, but Dream was incredibly excited to see George. They had been meeting pretty much daily for a few months now, and it had all been going smoothly. Until recently, that is, when Sapnap decided it was apparently a problem. 

_(“You spend all your time there. You haven’t even been coming home with stuff from the palace!”_

_“But I’m coming home with stuff, right? What does it matter?”_

_“You can’t let yourself grow close with the Prince, Dream.”)_

Sapnap shrugged, biting his lip. His gaze was on Dream, but almost felt like he was looking beyond the porcelain mask. 

“We aren’t going to fight about this again, Sap.” 

“Who said it was fighting?” 

“When you raised your voice, it became a fight.”

“When _I_ raised my voice?” Sapnap said, his voice laced with anger. 

“You’re raising it again.”

“Go see your stupid little Prince, Dream.” Sapnap waved him off, looking away. 

“Sapnap, _please_. I can’t bear to fight with you.” Dream said, his voice shaky. Sapnap could feel the desperation. He didn’t seem to care. 

“This isn’t some sort of jealous little scandal. I’m scared.” Sapnap said. His voice softened with the last words, but he still refused to make eye contact. Dream took a step closer. 

“Of what?” 

Quiet. Dream could see the sea of thoughts swim behind Sapnap’s eyes. 

“This feels wrong.” Sapnap whispered. 

Anger filled what used to be tender concern. Dream gave Sapnap the opportunity to discuss his feelings civilly, without fighting or anger. But Sapnap was adamant, refusing to talk beyond anything he’s already said. Dream had given him enough grace already. 

“If that’s all you're gonna say, I’ll be on my way.” His tone was hard. Cold. 

Sapnap turned around, back facing Dream. He hugged himself, and something in Dream’s heart shattered to pieces. But, he drowned out the pangs of sympathy, the unbearable need to pull Sapnap into a hug. 

“Go.” Sapnap said, voice shaky. 

And Dream did. 

***

“Now now, my son. Where’d you get that book?” 

Clay turned around. His mother stood behind him, hands folded over her apron, pink lips parted into a small smile that seemed to drip of affection. 

“Nick showed me it. It’s about knights, Mama!” He said, grinning his toothless smile and holding the book up. His mother’s smile ever so slightly, and she bent down to pick him up. Clay dropped the book in the process, but he let it clatter to the floor. 

“What do you think of knights?” His mother asked, swaying side to side gently with her son in her arms. 

“I think they’re super cool. They protect the king!” Clay exclaimed. “I think I’d want to be a knight when I’m big.”

“Clay, darling, I think there is an important lesson you must learn.” His mother said softly, and Clay looked up worriedly. 

“Did I do something wrong?”

She chuckled. “No, of course not, my love. There are always lessons to learn.” Her smile slowly faded. “Always question authority.” 

Clay furrowed his brow. “A-A-thor-ee-tee?” 

Clay was happy to see his mother’s dainty smile return. “Yes. Authorities can be people who have power over you. Like the king. They make rules.” 

“I follow rules.” Clay said firmly, puffing his little chest with pride. 

His mother’s smile wavered, turning more sad. 

“Some rules are meant to be broken, my love. For everyone’s safety.” 

***

“Tooooobyyyyy!” Clay said. The baby sat on the couch turned his little head, squealing in joy upon seeing his older brother. Clay giggled, picking up the boy and twirling him. 

“I have you to myself today! Mom and Dad are seeing their friends again.” Clay said, carrying Toby around the house in his arms. “But Dad didn’t call them friends. What did he call them? Ack-waint-en-ces?” 

Clay looked down at his brother for input, and the baby simply stared back. Clay shrugged, remembering that he wouldn’t get a response. Didn’t really matter anyway. 

Clay walked around the house, Toby in his arms. Clay read him books, sung him songs, even walked a little into the forest with him. Soon, it grew dark. There was still no sign of their parents. Normally, Clay would go to Nick to pass time, but he wanted to be home once his parents got back. 

Recently, Clay felt like his parents had been more solemn. They were always affectionate with their two sons, but genuine, happy smiles became more and more scarce, while meetings with “friends” became more regular. 

Clay wrapped his arms around his brother. They were lying on the couch after playing a game of cat and mouse. Toby tired himself out quite a bit, and had promptly fallen asleep in Clay’s arms the moment Clay laid down on his side. 

Clay smiled softly at his sleeping brother. 

“I love you.” He whispered, and let consciousness slip from out of his grasp.

***

“I’ve never snuck out of the palace before.’” George whispered, clinging onto Dream’s hand as the two maneuvered the dark palace halls. 

Earlier in the day, Dream had suddenly decided that seeing George just during the day wasn’t enough. After bickering with Sapnap, he finally was able to leave and go get George. 

He made sure the place they’d be going to tonight was special.

“No worries, Georgie. I’m here to protect you.” Dream said, making sure his tone was overly mocking. George rolled his eyes, barely visible in the dim dark purple lighting. 

They were out of the palace surprisingly easily, and Dream took the lead. The streets were empty and dark, and the cold breeze nipped at Dream’s ears. 

“Where exactly are we going?” George asked, hugging himself with his free hand. 

“You’ll see.” Was Dream’s response. 

They wandered the streets, occasionally ducking behind a sign or something left out in front of a closed store to hide from night patrol guards. But for the most part, it felt like they were alone. 

Just the two of them. 

In the entire city. 

Guilt bit at Dream, its fangs short and sharp. 

_What about Sapnap? It’s always been you and him. Who are you to go and replace him like this? Being close with George wasn’t apart of the plan._

Dream tried to shake the thoughts, the stabbing pain in his chest. He focused on the way the moon shone in George’s eyes. 

A small, strangled voice spoke deep inside Dream, its words echoing throughout his body as if it was a cave. 

_What about Toby?_

George twirled a little, laughing to himself. 

Dream forced a smile. 

_You promised you wouldn’t forget about him._

George pointed up at the sky, saying something about constellations. 

_You failed to protect him._

_You failed the one thing you truly, wholeheartedly adored._

_No I didn’t._

“What was that?” George asked, turning to Dream. 

_Fuck, did I say that out loud?_

“Oh, nothing.” Dream reassured. George hummed and looked back to the stars. 

Dream grabbed George’s hand again, grinning. The thoughts were behind him. 

“Lets go, we don’t wanna let the night waste away.” 

They walked until they reached the dock, the boats bobbing peacefully on the water. 

“I...You brought me out to the public dock?” George said, voice full of disbelief. Dream laughed. 

“No, stupid. That’s boring. Follow me.” 

Dream led George down the rickety dock, until they made their way to a tiny, wooden, unpainted boat.

“This is terribly anticlimactic.” George deadpanned as Dream helped him into the boat. 

“Well I’m sorry it's not a yacht, Your Majesty.” Dream mocked, and George rolled his eyes. 

“Cover your eyes.” Dream instructed once George got situated. 

“I-What?! No!” 

“Come on, George! Don’t be difficult! I can’t cover them myself cause I need to paddle.”

“I refuse.” 

Dream grumbled, before an idea struck him. He reached behind his head. George felt Dream’s hands move from his sides. 

“...What are you doing?” 

Gently, Dream placed his mask over George’s face, clasping it behind his head. It was quiet for a few moments. 

“How the hell do you see from out of this thing.” George deadpanned, and Dream wheezed. 

“It’s just big on you, that’s all. You’re looking at the forehead of it, not out of the eyeholes.” Dream explained. He placed his hands on the oars and began to slowly paddle out of the dock. He felt George’s back shift against his chest. 

“I’m trying to find the eyeholes but I just _can’t_ , is it enchanted?” 

Dream hummed. “Might be, I dunno. My roommate got it for me ages ago.” 

“You tell me a lot about your roommate.” George says, relaxing slightly into Dream. 

“There’s a lot to say about him.” 

It was quiet, the only sounds being the soft lap of water against the boat. Occasionally, George would wriggle, causing the boat to rock and Dream to panic, making the shorter giggle. But, as the time they spent on water drained on, George seemed to get more tired of pulling the same joke. 

“Are we there yet?” George whined. 

“Yes, actually.” Dream said, and George immediately perked up. Dream unclasped the mask, but slowly placed a hand over George’s eyes. Dream clasped the mask around his neck. He quite liked the feeling of the ocean breeze against his cheeks. 

“Alright.” Gently, Dream removed a hand from George’s eyes. Even without seeing George’s face, Dream could feel the awe radiate off of him. He couldn’t help but grin. 

“I…” 

The sky was speckled with stars, so much brighter and visible than they were in the city. The water below the boat reflected the stars, causing the galaxy around them to look endless, as if it was them and their boat, floating in space. Moon jellies lazily drifted in the cool water, flying amongst the stars. 

“I wanted to take you somewhere special for your first night out of the palace.” Dream whispered, almost as if any loud sound could disturb the serenity. 

“How did you know of this place?” George said, dipping his fingers gently in the water as a moon jelly swam past. 

“Read about it. Moon jellies are found a little far out from the city, and I know that the stars shine brighter outside of all that light pollution, so…” Dream said, bringing his hand into the water beside George’s. 

“...Do you like it?” 

“I love it.” George said softly. Dream thought the smile that bloomed across his face could take the sun’s place. 

They sat in the boat, George watching the stars and Dream watching George, the silence being filled with the soft lap of the tides against their small boat. 

“We should row back.” Dream says, but it comes out as a whisper. George bites his lip, evidently not wanting to head back to the palace and leave the stars behind, but he nodded. 

“Can I have my eyes open on the way back?” He asked as Dream took hold of the oars. 

Dream chuckled softly. “Of course.” 

The two quietly rowed back to the city, George not looking away from the stars once.

They paddled into the dock, and Dream got out of the boat, before turning around and reaching out a hand to help George out. 

George stared back at him stunned. 

Dream’s mask hung limp around his neck. 

Oh. 

_Oh._

George’s hands flew to his eyes. “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry I totally didn’t know-”

“George.”

“You can put your mask back on, I promise I barely got a glimpse-”

“George, you can uncover your eyes. It’s fine.” 

Dream let his words hang in the air before he added;

“I trust you.” 

No one had seen Dream’s full face in years. 

Dream only took the mask off when at home with Sapnap. No one, _no one_ , not even Karl or Quackity, had ever seen Dream’s face besides Sapnap. 

George stared at Dream for what felt like an eternity. Dream felt his face flush as he watched George analyze every inch of him. 

“You’re…” 

“Handsome? Breath-taking? Really hot?” Dream said, a playful smirk returning to his face. 

“...Annoying.” 

“Don’t make me shove you into the ocean!” Dream said through a laugh, and George’s eyes went as wide as saucers when he realized he was still in the boat. It wobbled beneath him, and he yelped, sending Dream further into a laughing fit. 

“Dream-! I’m gonna fall in!” George said, his tone panicked as he tried (and failed) to keep the boat stable. 

Dream extended his hand again and George quickly took it, lifting himself out of the tiny boat with Dream’s help. 

“You’re a real piece of work.” George said breathlessly, still clinging onto Dream’s hand. 

Dream laughed. “I’m hot though.”

“In your dreams.”

“Was that a pun?

“Shut it-!” 

The walk back was full of laughter. 

Dream was never going to forget this. 

So, as he returned George to his chambers, and watched the shorter yawn in the pre-dawn light, he felt his heart squeeze in his chest. 

He didn’t want to leave George. 

He wanted to be back in the ocean, on the boat, George in his arms, star-gazing. 

He didn’t want to go back to his title as a criminal. To nightmares. To the disappointed roommate, the air heavy with broken promises. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” George said with a sleepy, half-lidded smile. 

Dream smiled, standing on the ledge of the balcony. 

“Yeah. Tomorrow.” 

***

“I’ve been reassigned.” 

Dream looked over at Karl, who sat beside him in the carriage. “From George?”

Karl nodded. “Yeah, I’m one of the King’s servants.” 

“Congratulations, dude! That’s a big upgrade!” Dream said with a smile, placing his hand on Karl’s shoulder. 

Karl grinned. “Thanks! I’m just kinda bummed I won’t be spending as much time with you and George like I used to.” 

“You can always visit us during breaks, right? We’ll accept your presence with open arms.” 

It was silent for a few beats, before Dream spoke again. 

“So does George have a new personal servant?” 

Karl shook his head. “No, I think they’re looking, though.” 

Dream nodded. 

Once they got to the palace, Dream and Karl took to different directions. It was strange to Dream, to walk the halls alone, knowing Karl was off running errands for the king. 

For some reason, stealing didn’t even come to Dream at this moment. 

He’s gone soft. 

Sapnap wouldn’t be proud. 

But, for once, Dream couldn’t care less. 

He opened George’s door. 

“Geoooorge..!” Dream sing-songed through the doorway. He heard a giggle, and immediately shut the door behind him. He looked across the room, no sign of George. 

This game had become routine. 

A giggle sounded from behind Dream, but he was too slow to react. 

George tackled Dream with a triumphant shout, and the two fell over into a fit laughter. 

“I won! I caught you!” George shouted. He had Dream pinned to the floor, and Dream wiggled under his grasp. 

“Oh come on now, I had no time to prepare!” Dream cried through a laugh. 

They laid like that, George laughing like a madman whilst Dream whined protests. 

“Let me up.” The taller demanded. 

“Hmmmmm….No thank you. I think I’ll bask in my victory for a bit longer.” George said. 

“Georgeee!” Dream whined. “We can’t just lay here all the time! Don’t you realize how boring this is for me?” 

“Awh, are you gonna cry, Dream? Cry! Do it! Cry!” George chanted, eyes shining with amusement. 

Dream let out a painful wheeze. “You’re insane-!” He said, bending his leg and putting his foot firmly on George’s chest, before extending his leg and sending George flying back. 

“I..” George said, his eyes wid, evidently stunned. Suddenly, his expression morphed. “Dream! That _hurt!_ ” 

Dream cackled. “That’s what you get!” 

The duo play fought for a while, before they found themselves laid on their backs on George’s bed, winded and struggling for breath as they laughed. 

“What are we, ten?” George grumbled, a giant smile on his face. 

“Who says grown men can’t roughhouse?” Dream said, mocking offense. George rolled his eyes. 

The room fell silent. Dream could feel the mood shift. 

“I was uhm, talking to my dad. Earlier.” George said, swallowing hard. Dream shifted his head over to look at the man beside him. “He was wondering if you wanted to be my new personal servant.” 

Dream’s eyes widened. “Seriously?” George nodded, a small smile on his face. 

Dream imagined it. 

Living in the palace, being with George first thing in the morning and late into the night. George would always be down the hall. Maybe he could even room with Karl. He smiled at the thought. 

Until he remembered Sapnap. 

_(“It’s always been you and me.” Sapnap said through tears._

_”That doesn’t have to change.”_

_Sapnap didn’t respond._ )

“I can’t.” 

“It’s because of your roommate, right?” George said softly. 

Dream bit his lip and nodded. 

“It’s alright, I understand. If I’m being honest...my father was very suspicious about the over anyway.” 

Dream quirked an eyebrow. “Suspicious in what way?” 

George shook his head. “I wouldn’t be able to describe it even if my life depended on it. It’s just….maybe it’s for the better.” 

The duo spent the rest of their time together laughing and joking around. Ever since their night out together, Dream didn’t wear his mask when they were alone. It made George happy, and Dream was willing to do about anything to keep him that way. Dream left feeling content, the promise that he’d return the following day keeping his mood soaring. 

Until he realized that he had, yet again, forgotten to take something from the palace. 

He groaned, and made his way to the busiest portion of townsquare. 

It became routine, really. Dream would forget to steal anything, so he’d head to every noble’s favorite gathering place, grab something, and book it home. 

He was pleased to find a crowd in the square, and he quickly dived into the mess. Dream purposefully ran straight into a noble-woman, slipping her gem-encrusted bracelet off her wrist with ease and pocketing it swiftly. 

“I’m so sorry, My Lady-!” Dream exclaimed, feigning urgency as he bowed deeply. 

“Watch where you’re going next time, boy! Peasants these days, forgetting who’s in charge!” She exclaimed, before stomping off.

Not suspecting a thing. Dream grinned. It was almost too easy. 

He made his way back home quickly. Not fast enough to seem suspicious, but rather, fast enough so that there’d be no trace of him once the noblewoman realized that her wrist felt rather empty. 

Dream maneuvered his way through the traps of his home, sighing happily as he opened the door and closed it behind him. 

Sapnap was on the couch, a book open in his lap, but he evidently wasn’t reading it. 

“Hey.” Dream greeted casually. Sapnap didn’t respond. 

“Got a thing.” Dream said, waving the bracelet. 

“Not the Prince’s.” 

“How ever could you tell?” Dream joked with a smile, setting the bracelet down on the table. He desperately wanted to break the tension that plagued the room, but Sapnap wouldn’t budge. 

“Sapnap-” Dream started with a sigh, but Sapnap interrupted him. 

“Don’t even start, Dream. You can’t run off with your stupid little Prince, then come back to me and expect me to be _fine_.”

“I’m allowed to have other friends, Sapnap! I thought you’d be _happy_ for me!” 

“Yeah, but not with royalty who could literally order for you to be executed if they find out our involvement with the Dark Market!” Sapnap shouted back. 

“You never cared about that shit, Sap. You’ve been friends with Karl, no problem. You, him and Quackity are in that stupid little trio.” Dream said, his voice flooded with venom. 

“Karl wouldn’t snitch.” Sapnap scoffed. 

Dream narrowed his eyes. 

“You’re jealous.” 

“ _I am not!_ ” Sapnap shouted. Too loud. Too quickly. 

“Oh my god, you totally are!” Dream said through a laugh. A laugh devoid of all warmth. “You’re fucking jealous of me and George, so you come up with some stupid reason as to why I’m in the wrong.” 

“ _Shut up, Clay!_ You don’t fucking understand any of this shit! You just disappear for hours every day, and then come back with that stupid sappy grin. Empty handed, too. It’s not-It’s just not-” Sapnap’s words were interrupted by sobs. 

Dream’s heart clenched whilst his fist relaxed. 

“It’s hard for me, Clay, I-I-”

Dream walked over to the couch, sliding beside Sapnap leaning his head into his chest. Sapnap didn’t resist, rather, he snuggled his face into the crook of Dream’s neck. 

“I don't want to fight.” Sapnap said, voice muffled both by sobs and the fabric of Dream’s clothes. 

“Neither do I.” Dream said softly, stroking Sapnap’s hair. The younger was always like a brother to him. Beyond a best friend, close like family. But, the words brother always sat sour in Dream’s mouth. There was only room for one brother for now. As there was only one room for a best friend, which was taken. Dream hated making Sapnap an outcast in his life. Sapnap had been a pillar of stability, comfort and happiness for Dream whilst they both trekked through hell. 

Sapnap didn’t deserve this. 

“What could I do to make it better?” Dream whispered. 

Sapnap sniffled. “Let me come with you.” 

“...To the palace?” 

“Yes. To meet George.” 

Dream paused for a moment. It wasn’t that bad of an idea. Maybe, Sapnap could realize the good things about George. George had already heard so much about him. 

Dream smiled. 

“It’s a plan then.” 

Sapnap looked up. 

“Tomorrow?” 

“Tomorrow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ah yes. what a generic way to end a chapter. hope we all liked this one!! i am physically incapable of writing fluff without angst! story aside, thank you so much for all the love i've been receiving, truly blows my mind. i'm glad you all enjoy this book (can i call it that?) as much as i adore writing it! i promise you, the best is yet to come! we are far from the end, my dears. THEORIES, comments, kudos, are all appreciated! i loveee interacting with those who read. see you <33


	16. All The Lonely People

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _where do they all belong?_
> 
> **TRIGGER WARNING: v*mit, description of injury, blood, suicidal thoughts**

Dream tapped his foot as he waited for Sapnap at the door. 

“You know,” Dream shouted so that Sapnap could hear him from down the hall, “Maybe I _should_ just go without you.” 

“Don’t you dare, you fucking asshole-!” Sapnap exclaimed, nearly falling over as he slid out of one of the rooms and dashed down the hall. Sapnap looked better than he did when he went to the market, which said something. He still had his baggy clothing on with his favorite white bandana, but his hair was pulled back into a little ponytail and he had a nicer coat on. Even the knapsack thrown over his shoulder looked more well-kept and cleaner than the one Sapnap used for the market. 

Dream wolf whistled and Sapnap stepped on his toe, making Dream yelp. 

“Why’re you bringing a bag?” Dream asked, putting on his shoes. 

“To carry things, Nimrod.” Sapnap retorted. 

“ _Nimrod,_ ” Dream echoed, his voice flooded with mirth. “You need to spend less time with Karl.”

“No _way!_ ” Sapnap gasped, slamming a hand to his chest as if he’d been shot through the heart. “Karl’s the love of my life!” 

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” Dream said, grinning. 

“Quackity’s the love of my life, too. The three of us are gonna have a summer wedding, and _you_ are-”

“-Best man?” Dream interjected with a smirk. 

“-Not invited.” Sapnap finished. 

Dream smacked Sapnap upside the head, and Sapnap let out a terrifying screech. 

“My ponytail!” He cried. Dream doubled over in a wheeze, holding his knees as he sputtered over words. 

“Y-You sounded like a dying animal-!” Dream said between laughs, gasping for air. 

“Fuck you!” Sapnap cried, rubbing the back of his head. 

After a few moments of bickering and laughter, the duo walked out of their home and onto the street. 

“Now, let’s see if your lovely little _fiance_ will come pick us up.” Dream said, crossing his arms and looking down the street. 

“He told me he was reassigned to the King. Maybe he’s busy?” Sapnap said, blowing hot air into his hands. It was rather cold, and had snowed a little bit that night. 

Dream nodded. “He told me that too.” 

“You did tell him I’m coming with today, right?”

Dream bit his lip. “Uh. No.” 

Sapnap rolled his eyes. “Whatever. I’m sure he’ll be fine with it.” 

“If he comes, that is. So far, it looks like we’re gonna have to walk.” 

Almost as if on queue, a carriage came speeding down the street, the horses pulling it galloping loudly on the cobblestone road. 

The carriage came to a halting stop in front of Sapnap and Dream, and the black door flew open to reveal a disheveled Karl. 

“I am _so_ sorry!” He cried. Dream laughed and jumped into the carriage, Sapnap close behind. 

“Oh my honk, is that-!” Karl said upon seeing Sapnap, grinning. 

“My love! It has been too long!” Sapnap exclaimed dramatically, leaning over Dream’s lap to grab Karl’s cheeks. 

“Ew, you two-!” Dream said as Sapnap placed an exaggerated, slobbery kiss dead on Karl’s cheek. “Sapnap stop it! You’re gonna tip the carriage over!” 

“Dream, you didn’t tell me Sapnap was coming with you today!” Karl said, giggling. 

“It’s a surprise for George, I guess!” Dream sighed with a smile.

“Will you be with us today?” Sapnap asked excitedly. Karl’s smile fell as quickly as it came. 

“Uh, no. I’m r-really busy. Like, super duper busy. The king has a l-lot of things for me to do.” Karl said, quickly becoming very interested in the fabric of his tunic. 

Dream and Sapnap shared a look. 

They both heard the nervousness in the brunette’s voice. 

But, unlike Dream, Sapnap didn’t seem to think it was too serious, as he quickly switched the subject. 

“Well, that’s fine! You me n’ Quackity can spend some time together tomorrow!” Sapnap said with a smile, which Karl quickly returned. 

“I’ll hold you to that!” 

-

Karl quickly parted with Dream and George as soon as the carriage stopped at the castle. Sapnap was sad to see him go, but happily followed Dream’s lead as he led him through the castle. 

They walked down one of the main hallways, mostly quietly besides Dream occasionally verbalizing the turn he was going to take. 

“Hey,” Sapnap said suddenly, pointing to a candle mount on the wall. “How much do you think that’ll sell for?” 

All of Dream’s brain cells collectively went on strike. 

“I-What?”

“I said, how much do you think that candle mount will sell for?” 

“You’re not stealing that, Sapnap.” Dream said firmly, stopping. 

“But that’s what we’re here to do, right? Steal?” 

“No, we’re here because you wanted to visit George with me.” 

“You visit George to steal, Dream.” 

Dream narrowed his eyes. “Leave it on the wall.” 

Sapnap rolled his eyes and they continued their walk, Dream pleased to see that Sapnap didn’t spare any of the candle mounts a second glance. 

They trekked up the stairs and through the identical hallway, before stopping in front of the door Dream was already too familiar with. 

“Okay.” Dream exhaled. “Play nice, okay?” 

“Sure, Dad.” Sapnap shrugged. Dream shoved him playfully, and Sapnap giggled. 

Dream gently opened the door. 

George was sitting at his desk, a book open. He was reading it intently, brow furrowed and eyes darting over the page. He looked up at Dream, his face blooming into a smile. 

“Hey, George. I, uhm, have someone with me today.” Dream walked into the Prince’s chambers, side stepping to reveal Sapnap, who waved awkwardly. 

George gasped. “Is this your roommate?” He asked eagerly, walking up to Sapnap. 

“Yep. This is Sapnap.” 

“You’re surprisingly short.” Sapnap blurted, before quickly clamping a hand open his mouth, his ears dusting with pink. 

George turned a dark crimson, and Dream burst into a tea-kettle adjacent wheeze. 

“I seriously didn’t mean that George-I mean Your Highness! I-it just sort of jumped out!” Sapnap explained hurriedly. 

“ _Jumped out!_ ” Dream parroted, leaning over his knees and coughing violently. 

“That’s….quite the first impression.” George said, playing with his sleeves, face still a dark red. 

“I’m glad you and I thought the same thing when we first met him.” Dream sighed with a smile, leaning an elbow on Sapnap. 

“ _I didn’t mean it!_ ”

-

The trio had been fooling around for a while, and the room had settled into a comfortable silence. 

George looked over to Dream, a small smile on his face. “Hey, Dream. Can I talk to you for a second?”

Dream hummed in assent and the two parted with Sapnap, walking into the hallway. 

“Sapnap’s really funny.” George said with a smile once the two were alone. Dream snorted. 

“You pulled me aside just to tell me that?” 

“There’s more!” George said defensively, crossing his arms as Dream chuckled. “I just was wondering why you didn’t tell me a whole lot of detail before, and why I’m only meeting him after months of hearing about him, is all.” 

Dream bit his lip. “He and I…..We’re complicated. To say the least.” 

George raised an eyebrow. “The least? Tell me more.” 

“We shouldn’t leave him unsupervised.” Dream said, moving to the door, but George quickly stepped in front of him. 

“No, I’m interested.” 

“This isn’t a therapy session.” 

“Therapy? So you guys are complicated in a bad way?” 

“How can you be complicated in a good way?” 

“ _Dream._ ” 

Dream sighed. “We’ve been having an ongoing argument.” 

George bit his lip. “Okay. I don’t want to pry.” 

“Gee, thanks. Like you haven’t already.” Dream teased with a smile. 

George scoffed, and the two walked back into the room. Sapnap was standing by George’s desk, playing with the buttons of his knapsack. 

George let out a holler and launched at Sapnap, who shrieked and tried to dodge. He failed. Dream chuckled as the two fell to the floor. 

The next moment happened in slow motion. 

Sapnap fell under George, his knapsack flying off his shoulder. 

It wasn’t closed. 

Out of the knapsack, came a crown. 

Decorated in blue velvet with small silver gems making its way around it, the metal itself a gleaming gold. 

The crown rolled to the corner of the room before stopping. The room was silent. George stared at the crown, eyes wide. He looked to the knapsack, laying open, then to Sapnap, whose face was stricken with terror. 

Dream prayed under his breath for some reasonable excuse as to why the crown was in Sapnap’s bag, but he knew there wasn’t any. George wasn’t an idiot. 

“Why….” George started softly. 

“...An accident.” Sapnap said, voice shaky. 

“Things don’t just appear in other people’s bags.” George said, his voice becoming firm. Devoid of the warmth that used to be there. George stood, walking over to the knapsack. 

He grabbed it, and turned it upside down. 

Out clattered more things. 

Almost all of them evidently too expensive to be Sapnap’s. 

“I can explain-” 

“I don’t want to hear it.” George snapped, his voice a blade that cut through Sapnap’s words. 

George turned his gaze towards Dream, his eyes cold and hard. 

“Is this what you meant by complicated, Dream?” He said, gesturing to the pile of objects. His objects. “You brought a thief into the palace and just let him run wild?” 

“The thief’s always been in the palace.” Sapnap deadpanned, and Dream shot him a glare. But it didn’t waiver him. Sapnap had his mind set on what he was going to say. 

George gave Sapnap a confused look, and Sapnap smirked. 

“Haven’t you noticed things go missing, Your Highness?” 

George nodded. 

“Recall when they started disappearing.” 

Dream wanted to scream. 

“What also became a new frequent, at the _exact same time?_ ”

Dream wanted to run. 

The look George gave him was enough to kill him. 

“You’ve been….stealing from me?” 

“I’ve stopped recently.” Dream blurted. 

“Yeah, cause you’re a _pussy._ ” Sapnap sneered. 

“ _I am not!_ ”

“Wanna know one better, Your Majesty?” Sapnap said, turning back to George. “We’ve been selling what we steal. Dream would haul ass to this palace, sneak something home, and then we’d sell it. At the _Dark Market._ ”

“Why the fuck are you telling him this?” Dream shouted. 

“Don’t you think he deserves to know the truth? After being used by you?” Sapnap snapped. 

“B-But Karl-” George stammered, and Sapnap chuckled. 

“Oh, Karl was so in on all of this.”

The look on George’s face made Dream’s heart shrivel. He was hugging himself, and somehow, he looked tiny. He was shaking. 

“So none of this…” He said softly, his voice shaky, “None of this was real?”

“Guess you could say that.” Sapnap said with a shrug. 

“George, don’t listen to him. There’s so much more than just what he told you, I’m sure you’d understand-” Dream moved towards George, extending his hands. 

“Stay away from me-!” George exclaimed, backing up quickly. 

Dream recognized what George was now standing beside. 

The royals had a very specific system implemented. Upon waking up, each member of the Royal family would pull on a small string beside their beds, notifying the cooks in the kitchen that they were awake. When the royals needed help with something, there was another string to pull on, which would ring a bell and notify servants and maids. And lastly, if the royals needed assistance of guards, there was a final string to pull on, which would ring a bell, and notify knights. 

George’s hand curled over the string. 

“Please, George, just listen to me-” Dream begged in panic, but he was cut off once again. 

“I’ve heard enough.” George said, his voice almost a whisper. 

He pulled on the string. 

It was almost impressive, how fast the guards arrived. 

Upon seeing them, Sapnap’s eyes widened, and he scooted away from the door. 

“Guards,” George said softly, raising a shaky hand to point at the duo. “Arrest them.” 

With that statement, Sapnap yelped, grabbing his rucksack and booking it to the balcony. In the blink of an eye, Sapnap had thrown himself over the ledge, and he was gone. 

He didn’t even consider waiting for Dream.

Dream turned a pleading eye to George, but there was no remorse in the man’s eyes. 

Only pain.

Hurt.

Betrayal.

Dream didn’t have the strength to resist as the knights wrapped their armored arms underneath Dream’s own and hauled him out of the Prince’s chambers. 

Soon enough, George had vanished behind the doors. 

Dream was alone. 

***

Dream didn’t remember falling asleep. 

If you could call it that, that is. 

The last thing he remembers is being dragged down what felt like an infinite amount of stairs. But now, as he slowly opened his eyes, in front of him he saw bars. 

Cell bars. 

Below him, the cobblestone was damp and dirty. The only sound around him was the _drip, drip_ of water hitting puddles on the floor. 

Dream’s hand immediately flew to his face, and to his relief, the mask was still on. He breathed a deep sigh of relief before sitting up to get a better look at his surroundings. 

He could see other cells around his own, but they were all vacant. Or so he thought, at least. The only light was a dim torch on the wall. With every drip of water from the dungeon ceiling, the tiny flame on the torch had it’s life threatened. 

Dream heard a loud clanking come from the spiral stairs in front of his cell, and after a few moments, a knight appeared down the stairs. The knight’s features were impossible to decipher behind their armour, but they stopped in front of Dream’s cell and planted a hand on their hip. 

“Prisoner.” A smooth, deep voice said. It was echoey, and Dream couldn’t tell if the voice had bounced off of the wet walls of the dungeon, or around the knight’s helmet. 

“Is ‘Prisoner’ all you’re gonna call me?” Dream asked with a smirk.

“Would you rather I call you Clay?”

Dream froze.

The knight’s shoulder’s shook, and they sighed. They were _laughing._

“How do you know my name?” Dream said, his voice low. 

“You really are clueless, aren’t you?” Was the knight’s response. Dream glared at him, and the knight shook his head. “Worry not. I think you’ll get a clearer image of what’s happening sooner or later.”

“If you’re going to interrogate me on the Dark Market, you’d best just kill me now. I won’t tell you anything.” Dream spat. Although Dream couldn’t see the knight’s face, he could hear the sinister grin in their voice. 

“Do you seriously think you’re here for involvement with the Dark Market?” 

“Well, it’s a crime, is it not? I’m going based off of what I know I did.” 

“It’s not necessarily something you did, Clay.”

“Don’t call me Clay.” 

“Whatever. Prisoner.” The knight walked up to the bars and knelt down so that they were at eye level with Dream. Green met steel. 

“You will suffer the consequences of the actions done by those who came before you.” 

***

Dream didn’t know how long he had been in the cell. 

It might have been days. 

Or maybe just a few hours. 

Knights had come to him in shifts, either accompanied with (you guessed it) more knights, or on their own.

Sometimes they’d interrogate him. 

They’d ask questions about the village. 

His family. 

“Who was your mother?” 

“Where did they go in the evenings?” 

“Have you ever hear the name _Hibernis_?”

Dream tried to avoid their questions. 

He’d stay silent, he’d spit on their boots, he’d scream and thrash. 

None of it worked. 

Dream learned that after he had been left in a pool of his own blood after an interrogation. 

Dream hadn’t eaten since before he had arrived at the dungeon. 

His muscles burned, swallowing his own saliva felt like drinking acid. His poorly treated wounds seared with pain when Dream did something as simple as inhaling. 

He drifted in and out of consciousness, every time wishing that he would not awake. 

To his dismay, he woke up each time. 

_I have nothing to keep going for._

Sapnap had left him. George initiated this. 

Tubbo was probably fucking dead. 

_It’s all your fault._

Dream was on his knees, his hands shackled behind his back. He scuffled to the corner of his cell and emptied the contents of his stomach, of which there were few. Stomach acid pooled in his mouth and burned his throat. The puddle of vomit looked simply like yellow-ish water, tinted ever so slightly with blood.

“Oh, that is absolutely disgusting.”

Dream turned to see the knight that first visited him when he woke up standing outside of the cell, a hand on their hip. 

“You.” Dream rasped. 

“Prisoner.” They said with an acknowledging little head nod. “You’re in bad shape.” 

“How could you tell?” Dream snapped, rubbing his mouth with his blood-stained sleeve. 

“You look thin. Have you eaten at all?” The knight asked, and Dream shot them a glare. He didn’t want false pity. It was textbook abuser behavior. 

“I’ll take that as a no.” The knight sighed. Dream heard a clanking sound, and the bars flew open. The knight walked in, kneeling beside Dream. “Sit up.” 

Dream couldn’t move. Even if he wanted to sit up, his muscles flared and he’d collapse in agony. Dream knew the knight recognized that, and an armored, steely hand came to his shoulder, propping him up against the wall. 

Dream felt the knight wrap bandages around Dream’s torso. 

He hated it. 

He didn’t want to be taken care of, he didn’t want pity, he didn’t want to be healed or to feel better. 

He wanted to be free. 

_He wanted to die._

“Does it get stuffy in that helmet?” Dream heaved, forcing mirth into his voice. 

“Stop talking, you bleed more.” The knight snapped. Dream was in no position to fight back, so he relaxed and let the Knight do his work. The Knight knots the bandages and chuckles. 

“If you’d like to see my face, I would not be against it.”

“Are you not trying to keep yourself anonymous?” 

“You’re two steps away from death, Prisoner. You wouldn’t live to seek me out.” 

Dream shrugged. The Knight wasn’t wrong. 

The knight placed a hand on the bottom of their helmet, and heaved it off their head. 

Dream nearly jumped out of his skin. 

The majority of the Knight’s features were normal. They had curly brown hair, pale skin that was dotted ever so slightly with freckles. 

But, their eyes were a blank white. 

And they glowed. 

The Knight laughed with their whole stomach, white, glowing eyes squinting as they laughed. They put their helmet back on. 

“You seriously should have seen your face!” 

Dream was stunned. 

“I-I...How?” He sputtered.

“Failed spell. Wasn’t always a knight, you know.” The knight shrugged. “Now, back to business. I’m not just here to fool around.” 

“You’re gonna interrogate me.” Dream said, and the knight nodded. 

“Now….what do you know about Hibernis?” 

“Nothing.” 

“Being difficult won’t help your case, Clay.”

“Don’t call me that.” 

“I’ve been nice, but I don’t have to be.” The Knight warned. 

Dream swallowed hard. 

“You and I are not friends.” The Knight shifted, the sword sheathed on his hip more visible. 

“I’ve never heard of Hibernis. I don’t know why I’m associated with it, whatever it is.” 

The Knight sighed. 

“This will be more difficult than I thought it would be.”

***

The White-Eyed Knight had been kind to Dream, in comparison to the other Knights who had interrogated him. 

Dream had fallen unconscious once more. It was not sleep, nor was it as beneficial as sleep would be. Rather, Dream had fallen unconscious from exhaustion. The Knight did nothing to Dream like the other Knights had, but pressure upon Dream’s wounds, although good in a way, was incredibly painful and left Drea exhausted. 

Dream opened his eyes slowly, groaning as pain returned to his senses, along with the putrid smell of his own sweat and blood in the cell. 

“Good Day, Prisoner.” 

Dream looked up, seeing the familiar outline of the White-Eyed Knight. Dream attempted to prompt himself up on his hands, but he wobbled and collapsed. It was further than he had gotten before, though. 

“I’ve told you everything I know.” Dream croaked. 

“I’m not here to interrogate you.” The Knight sighed. The bars of the cells creaked open, and the Knight walked in. 

Much like the day (Dream assumed it had been a day, at least.) before, the Knight propped Dream up against a wall. He shuffled around in the worn leather bag he had brought with him, before pulling out a bottle. 

Dream’s eyes widened at the familiar sight. 

“A…. _potion?_ ”

The Knight nodded, double checking the potion’s label and pulling out the cork with a _pop!_

“But, potions are banned by the king-”

“For commoner’s use, yes. The Royals have unlimited access. I got clearance to give you this. Now, drink.” The knight explained, bringing the glass bottle to Dream’s lips. 

Dream was hesitant to drink at first, but after analyzing the contents, he deemed it to be a healing potion. The sparkly red liquid sloshed around in the bottle, and it’s sickeningly sweet smell settled above Dream’s top lip. 

Hesitantly still, Dream opened his mouth and let the bottle rest on his lower lip. The Knight tilted the bottle upwards, and the sweet potion flooded into Dream’s mouth. He chugged it, not once pausing for air. 

Dream had no idea how long he had been imprisoned. All he knew was that for the entire time he had been there, he had not eaten or drunk anything. The potion settled in Dream’s formerly empty stomach, and he pulled away from the bottle, breathing hard. He longed for more, but knew that a healing potion in too large of a dosage could be detrimental. 

Almost immediately, he felt the pain in his wound blur away, as well as his pounding head and aching muscles easen. 

“You’ll need to have at least a third of your former strength for where we’re going today.” The knight said, putting the cork back in the bottle and storing it away in his bag. 

Dream knew it was a stupid question, but he had to ask regardless. “Am I being let go?” 

“Nothing of the sort.” The Knight responded. Dream bit his lip. It was foolish to feel disappointed. There was no way he was going to make it out of this alive.

“You’re being moved. Can you stand?” The Knight asked as he himself stood. 

Dream tried, surprised to see that he could now stand on wobbly legs. Immediately, the Knight swooped an arm under Dream’s legs, their other arm firmly holding Dream’s back. 

“Can’t have a runner now, can we?” The knight said, walking out of the cell. 

It was uncomfortable with Dream’s hands handcuffed behind his back. But, he didn’t thrash. 

As the Knight went up the stairs, Dream wondered what was going to happen to him. 

Was he going to be executed?

Or was he just being moved to a new cell, where he would rot for an implied crime he didn’t commit? 

Dream hoped it was the former. 

He had nothing to keep going for, anyway. 

The Knight could have uncuffed Dream and prompted him to run, and Dream doesn’t think he would. 

His time was coming. 

He could feel it. 

Dream hissed in a violent breath as sunlight streamed into his eyes, making them sting. The Knight chuckled. “You haven’t seen natural light in a while, haven’t you?” 

_Gee, I wonder why?_ was what Dream wanted to say, but refrained from. 

Dream couldn’t get a good look at where the Knight was carrying him, since it still hurt to turn his head, but he knew they were outside. They were approaching something, as the sound of people talking grew louder. 

As did the crashing sound of ocean waves. 

Suddenly, Dream was set on his feet. 

And immediately met with more chains. 

More knights surrounded him, and these knights placed shackles around Dream’s ankles. Dream could no longer make out the white-eyed knight in the sea of other armored people. Dream didn’t bother looking, though. He and the Knight were not friends. The Knight was a person with purpose. Dream was a prisoner, wasting away, steps away from death. 

Dream felt someone shove him. 

“Move on, Prisoner.” 

Dream waddled along the path, the knight behind him directing him. The heat made him sweat bullets, and he felt light-headed. 

“Keep walking!”

Dream could barely move his feet. 

“Hey, he looks like he’s about to pass out, maybe you should-”

The words of another knight were caught off by Dream collapsing face first into the cobble stone, and his world faded to black. \

***

The boat rocking almost made Dream want to sleep. 

He hadn’t slept in what felt like a long time, as all forms of “rest” were him falling out of consciousness. Which he did quite a lot. 

After passing out in the blistering heat, surrounded by nights, Dream awoke on a boat. 

Or, he assumed it was a boat, because it rocked like one, and the air smelled salty. 

Above him, stood a familiar face. 

“...Karl?” Dream asked, squinting. 

“Y-Yeah, it’s me. I’m supposed to report the minute you wake up, but I wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

“Does it look like I’m okay?” Dream retorted, sarcastically. 

“I was told you were in bad shape, and your clothes are like, covered in blood, but, you don’t have a whole lot on you other than those cuts on your hands.” 

Dream glanced down at himself. That meant the healing potion did it’s share. Interesting. 

“I’m as fine as I could be for a tortured prisoner.” 

Karl nodded. “O-Okay then. I’ll be right back.” 

Karl dashed away, up a set of wooden stairs, and out of whatever room Dream was being kept in. 

After a few moments of silent rocking, Karl came back, but he was followed by someone. 

“See, he’s awake, Your Majesty!” 

The king gave Dream a scowl. 

“About time, boy.” He sneered. 

“Am I dismissed, sir?” Karl asked meekly. 

“No. Stay.” 

Karl nodded. Dream could see the fear in his eyes, but he turned his attention to the now approaching monarch. 

“I’ve been waiting for a long time. You’re quite off the radar, aren’t you? Just like your parents….slippery.” The king mused, voice thick and full. 

“The knights said you’ve been quite a handful…..’unbreakable’, they called you. “ The king prowled around Dream, staring him down like a hunter does its prey. “I think that’s a load of bullshit.” 

“I told the knights everything I know.” Dream said firmly. 

“Your lies don’t phase me, boy!” The King shouted, drawing out an arm. “Tell me what you know about Hibernis! Why haven’t they been active recently? What are they plotting?” 

“I don’t know!” Dream shouted back. 

Suddenly, the King launched at Dream, grabbing his collar. “Now now, you don’t shout at the king and get away unscathed.” He growled. Dream was surprised by the fear that suddenly coursed through his veins. 

“‘ _Hiems Adfert Mortem Flores!_ Tell me what that means!” 

Dream spat at the king. 

His saliva landed straight on the king’s cheek. The king slowly raised a hand to his cheek, swiping it off his face and looking with disgusting and anger at his hand. 

He stood, walking over to where Karl stood, horrified. 

“We have things to discuss, Jacobs.” He growled, and left the room, leaving Karl and Dream alone. 

It was silent for a few moments, Dream glaring Karl down whilst the latter desperately tried to avoid eye contact. 

“Why won’t you look at me, Karl? Are you guilty?” Dream sneered. There was no way Karl wasn’t involved in this. He had always gotten so nervous when asked about his tasks, especially around Dream. 

It was a _betrayal._

Dream was alone.

“What can I say, you’re intimidating.” Karl says, voice trembling as he barks out a nervous laugh. 

“What about me intimidates you?”

“You’re confident.” Karl says, wringing his hands. “You seem unbreakable.” 

“It’s easy to be confident around you.” 

“...Should I take that as a compliment?” 

“No.” 

“Oh.”

“So you’ve known this entire time?” 

“N-No!” Karl said, his voice raising. “I only found out a while after I got reassigned.”

“How do I know you’re not lying?” 

Karl folded his arms. “That’s entirely up to you.” 

It was quiet for a few moments, Karl and Dream held tense eye contact, until Karl’s name was shouted from somewhere on top of the ship. 

Without a word, Karl left. 

Dream was alone. 

In more ways than one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> haha...i'm in danger. hi everyone! long time no see! i've been prepping this chapter for a while now, and let me tell you, i had no idea where to end this! i don't wanna drop too much onto you guys at once, especially since this chapter has a LOT of information. a reminder, all relationships are platonic! karl, quackity and sapnap are not actually going to get married, it's just a little joke between them (just like irl!). i've updated the archive warnings to mature, and i will be putting more trigger warnings before chapters like this one (which there won't be many of, but you know, got to be safe!). we are nearing the end of the memory reel....you guys aren't ready. there's a lot to be discovered! GIVE ME YOUR THEORIES!!!!! comments, kudos, bookmarks etc. are always appreciated! thanks so much for all the love, i love you guys <3 see you!!!


	17. Missing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **TW: suicidal ideations, violence, etc.**   
>  **All relationships in this fic are platonic. Refrain from any shipping related comments.**
> 
> _[EXIT Dream]_

***

“So you can’t see red?” Dream asked. 

He and George were seated on the Prince’s balcony, watching the sun set over the city walls. 

George shook his head. “Green too. The sunset just looks….blue. And yellow.” 

Dream gave him a bewildered look. “Wait, what about my hoodie? What color is it?” 

“Piss yellow.” 

Dream shoved him, and George broke into his silent laugh, making the occasional squeaking noise. 

“Is the sunset pretty?” George asked after he had quieted down, leaning his head to the side. 

Dream nodded. 

“One day you’ll see it.” 

“Yeah, I hope so.” George said, but it came out more as a whisper. 

They sat in silence, the sun disappearing behind the peaks of trees behind the wall. 

“Dream?” George asked quietly, shifting his head to look up at the man beside him. 

Dream made a noise, signifying that he was listening as he glanced down at George. 

“What’re your thoughts on soulmates?” 

Dream broke into a grin. “Soulmates? I never knew you were the type to read cliche romance novels, George.” 

George turned red. “Oh shut up, I don’t read romance. I just heard people talking about it, is all.” 

Dream hummed, raising an eyebrow, and George rolled his eyes. 

Dream chuckled. “Well, I dunno. I doubt they’re something real. I don’t think the gods care about us enough to meddle around with stuff like that.” 

“Well, for amusement maybe.” George said with a smile. 

“Yeah, yeah. But soulmates aren’t just romantic, right?” Dream asked, leaning back onto his hands. “You read the romance novel.” 

“Shut up about the romance novel!” George grumbled. “But yeah, they can be.” 

Silence again. Dream knew there was something George wanted to say, and he nudged his hand closer to George, in a way of non-verbal consolation. 

“Do you think you have a soulmate? Platonic or romantic.” George asked, his voice quiet. 

Dream smiled. 

“Sure. You’re my soulmate.” 

George’s head whipped to look away from Dream. “You’re a sap.” 

Dream wheezed. “You asked! You wanted to know if I had a platonic soulmate, so I said you!” 

“You don’t have to try and flatter me, you know! Just say your roommate or whatever.” George folded his arms, looking back out at the sunset.Dream could see the slight blush spread over his cheeks. 

“What? Are you embarrassed?” He cooed, and George shoved his forehead away. “Okay then _Georgie_ , who’s your platonic soulmate?” 

George stared out at the sunset, eyes fixated on the pink sky. Dream grinned. 

“It’s me, isn’t it?” 

“Oh, piss off!” George exclaimed angrily, scooting away from Dream. But Dream only moved closer. 

“Oh, my darling George! You’re so sweet, truly!” He sing-songed, clasping his hands together and bringing them to the side of his face. “I’ve truly struck gold, haven’t I?” 

“What happened to ‘I don’t think they’re real’?” George grumbled. 

“Oh, come on. Just cause I don’t think I’m spiritually tied to someone doesn’t mean I can’t have fun.” Dream said with a grin. “Plus, ‘Best Friend’ is a little underwhelming, right?” 

George turned to look at Dream, a small smile on his face. “So we’re soulmates now?” 

Dream grinned, turning to look back at the sky. “Mmm, yeah. My soulmate George. Has a ring to it, doesn’t it?” 

George pulled his legs into his chest, wrapping his arms around his calves and resting his chin on his knees. 

“Yeah, sure.” He said nonchalantly. 

But Dream could see the wide smile on his face. 

“Good.”

***

“I need to go outside.” Dream grumbled, groggily walking out of Sapnap’s room. 

Well, it was sort of their shared room now. 

As Dream’s nightmares became more frequent, so did the need to be with someone else. Sleeping beside Sapnap gave Dream the opportunity to focus on something other than the nightmares he would soon face. He could focus on Sapnap’s breathing, the way the ravenette’s chest rose and fell slowly. He could focus on the way the bottles of potions gleamed in the cabinet, or the way Sapnap would flinch and mutter in his sleep. 

“Dude, it’s like, three in the morning. We’re going to the Dark Market later.” Sapnap grumbled, and Dream could hear him shift out of bed to follow. 

“But we’re going on our own, right?” 

“No, Quackity and Karl are picking us up.” 

Dream groaned. 

“See! That is exactly why you need to sleep, or else you’ll bitch the entire way there.” Sapnap sighed, rubbing his eyes. 

The pair walked into the living room, and Dream sat in front of the long since put out fireplace. 

“Tea?” Sapnap called from the kitchen, and Dream made a noise of assent. 

A few minutes later, Sapnap came to sit beside Dream with two steaming mugs of tea. He handed one to Dream, sipping out of his own. The two watched the charren logs in the fireplace together. 

“Sapnap?” Dream asked quietly, barely noticing how his voice shook. 

“Yeah?” Dream could hear the concern in his voice. 

“Would you ever leave me?” 

Sapnap scooted so close to Dream that their shoulders brushed and their thighs touched. 

“Never.” 

“It’s just- You and Quackity and Karl- you guys are so _close_ , you go everywhere with them and trust them so much and I’m just-” Dream paused for a moment, sighing. “I’m just me.” 

“And that’s what I love about you.” Sapnap said firmly. “You’re you. You’re headstrong, you’re sweet and compassionate and crazily emotional, you're expressive, have the worst poker face ever but _gods_ you are smart.” Dream looked at Sapnap, who gave him a gentle smile. 

“Why would I ever want to leave you?” 

Dream rested his head on Sapnap’s shoulder. 

“I dunno. I get worried.” 

“I’ll be here to remind you!” Sapnap singsonged. Dream chuckled, closing his eyes. He felt sleep return to him, crashing onto his unconscious mind like ocean waves. 

“I’m always gonna be here.” Sapnap said quietly, and Dream fell back into a peaceful sleep. 

***

“Get up!” A voice above Dream boomed. 

Dream jolted awake, immediately feeling dizzy and dehydrated. He quickly looked at his surroundings, recognizing the cell in the ship he was on. 

“Finally you’re up, _boy_. I was getting tired of waiting.” Sneered the King. Dream sat up, his mind barely comprehending exactly how tired he was. Had he slept? He couldn’t differentiate between fainting and sleeping anymore. 

“Minx, come here.” The king commanded, and a new figure came into Dream’s shaded view. 

It was a woman, her hair a dark purple and her eyes and lips smudged with something black. 

Dream’s vision was blurry. It felt like he was underwater. 

“Okay, sit straight for me, will you? What’s with this stupid fucking mask?” She retorted. Her accent felt harsh on Dream’s ears. 

“Since you refused to talk, you’re getting what you deserve.” The king said, and Dream could hear his sinister smile. 

He didn’t bother thinking about what was coming next. Minx would probably just ask him more questions that he didn’t have the answers too. Then, he’d be brutalized. 

Or so he thought, until he felt a cool finger press against his temple. 

Dream shot awake, adrenaline pulsing through his veins. He whipped his head around, and bit Minx’s hand. 

Minx screeched, grabbing her hand and jumping away from Dream. “ _He bit me! He fucking bit me!_ Get your dog on a leash!”

Dream almost felt triumphant with his response, until the King kicked him in the side. 

Dream let out a grunt, falling over onto his side and bringing his knees to his chest, eyes squeezed shut in pain. 

“Scared of a mental probe, aren’t we? What do we have to hide?!” The King shouted, and Dream heard him lift his heavy boot of the ground in preparation to kick Dream once again. 

“Your Majesty!” A meek voice sounded from across the room. Karl. 

“What is it, Jacobs?!” The King yelled, and Dream pretty much heard Karl flinch. 

“Your presence is requested on the deck, sir.” 

A sigh. The _clunk_ of a boot resting on wooden floors. 

“Very well. Get Minx, out of here, would you?” 

Feet shuffled on the floor as the King’s heavy footsteps sounded away. Karl and Minx talking in hushed voices before walking upstairs as well. 

Dream could feel Karl’s gaze on him, and he only opened his eyes once he knew for sure that he was gone. 

Dream let the tears spill. 

He had nothing to hide, really. Nothing about _Hibernis_ or his parents. He really had said everything he knew. 

The only thing he had to hide was Sapnap. 

Quackity. 

Tubbo. 

The people who mattered to him would be exposed if he had gotten probed. Sapnap and Quackity would be on the run. They could use Tubbo as blackmail, or worse. 

Dream’s body shook as his sobs filled the quiet of the room.

He wanted out. 

***

“He said he doesn’t know what to do with you.” Karl said. 

Karl had been sitting outside Dream’s cell for a half hour now. He had been talking to Dream about meaningless things. His favorite color, favorite food. 

Dream knew it was a distraction. Trying to keep him from thinking about what would soon happen. 

“Do you think he’ll let you out?” 

_Yup, definitely a distraction._

Dream didn’t respond. His eyes comfortably hidden behind his mask, his mouth pressed into a thin line. 

Karl bit his lip, looking away, and the room fell into silence. 

“Karl!” 

Dream flicked his eyes over to the stairs, and a familiar purple haired woman came downstairs. Followed by the King, of course. 

The three stood in front of Dream’s cell, casting shadows down upon him. 

“What’re you gonna do with him?” Minx asked, scowling as she let her gaze rest on Dream’s hunched-up figure. 

“We can’t risk leaving him alive.” The King sighed. 

Karl tensed beside him. “Can’t we just bring him back to the city? Put him in a cell again?” 

The king turned a suspicious glare to Karl, who shrinked under it. “Still loyal to the rat, aren’t we?” 

“No, sir.” 

“Hold your tongue, then.” 

“We can’t go back to the city and raise suspicions.” Minx said, folding her arms. “If we kill him, we kill him and dispose of him while still at sea.” 

“We can’t cause a mess, either.” The King scratched his beard, watching Dream. 

“Throw him into the ocean?” Minx shrugged. 

“It isn’t guaranteed he’ll die from that.” Karl murmured. 

“It’s our only option.” countered Minx, her accent thick with frustration. 

The King held out a hand, and the two beside him hushed. 

“We throw him into the sea. It’s our only option.” 

Minx stuck out her tongue at Karl, who rolled his eyes. 

“That isn’t all, though. Since it is not guaranteed whether or not he will die, we will close the doors of opportunity which may arise.” The King said. 

Minx’s eyes widened, and they looked as though they were sparkling with delight. “Do you mean-” 

“Yes, Minx. You may carry through with the procedure you had formerly discussed.” The King sighed, and Minx punched the air, whooping and hollering with joy. 

Dream didn’t move a muscle as he listened to their conversation. Normally, he’d take in their words, devise a plan of escape, put all of his wit to use. 

But he didn’t have the energy. 

The words “not guaranteed to die” sat sour in the air. 

Dream found himself hoping, wishing, _begging some god from above_ , that Minx would simply come into his cell and cleave his skull in half. Take an axe to his neck, stab him repeatedly, poison him, _anything_. 

Maybe he'd be able to start anew. 

Starting anew did sound appealing. 

But it wouldn’t happen. 

Even so, Dream was just doomed to make the same mistakes, wasn’t he?

Minx sighed happily, before her content smile twitched into a tiny frown. “Such a shame, it is. We really thought this was our big lead.” 

“He’s useless.” The King scoffed. “Just like his parents.” 

Dream winced. 

“He moves!” Minx purred. “Almost seemed like he had frozen in place.” 

The King let out a chuckle, one that was cold as ice. “At the mention of his parents. What a _softie._ ” 

No anger bubbled up within Dream. 

He didn’t have the energy to be angry anymore.

“Worry not, Minx. The other members are out there. We shall find them.” The King said. Minx saluted him, a cheshire cat-like grin spreading across her face. 

“Not a doubt in my mind, Your Majesty! Come on, I’ll brief you on what I’ll need for the procedure.” Minx said, and led the King away. 

Karl stood in front of the cell, staring down at Dream. 

His gaze was full of pity. Guilt. 

Dream didn’t give a shit. 

He knew Karl could tell. 

“Karl!” Minx sing-songed from somewhere on the deck. 

“Coming!” Karl shouted back. 

With one last glance back at the prisoner, Karl vanished upstairs. 

-

Dream almost thought he could lull himself into sleep, until he heard the clamoring of boots down wooden stairs and groggily opened his eyes. 

“Hi Dream! I have something!” Karl’s voice rang out over the sound of clanking metal. 

The cell bars creaked open, and Karl came to crouch beside Dream. 

Dream looked Karl up and down, wetting his lips before looking at what Karl held. 

A glass bottle, containing a sparkly bright red liquid. 

A healing potion. Lovely. 

“I’ll help you drink it.” Karl said with a smile, uncorking the potion and bringing it closer to Dream’s mouth. 

Dream kept his lips zipped shut. 

“I thought you’d be ecstatic to have this.” Karl mumbled dejectedly. He tried again, bringing the bottle all the way to Dream’s lips. Karl shoved it into his mouth, the glass gently pressing itself into Dream’s teeth. 

Karl giggled. “You look kind stupid.” 

Something deep within Dream bubbled. It swirled in his stomach, before traveling up, up his throat before- 

Dream stopped it. 

He wouldn’t laugh at jokes with Karl. 

Karl had betrayed him. Karl had been keeping tabs on him. Karl had known that Dream was a part of something much bigger. Much greater. 

Karl’s smile left him. 

“Please drink.” He said softly, his voice saccharine. 

Dream was tired of resisting. He let Karl tilt the bottle up, and felt the potion slosh down his throat. 

As soon as the bottle was emptied, Karl parted the bottle from Dream’s mouth with a satisfied smile, corking it and setting it aside. 

Dream licked the residue potion off his lips, slowly feeling his body tingle as the liquid took its effect. 

He looked everywhere but into Karl’s eyes. 

After what felt like years of Karl simply crouching in front of Dream, analyzing him, the brunette got up and left without a word goodbye or a glance over his shoulder. 

Dream’s bruises felt ticklish as he watched the purple lighten and fade back to his pale peach skin tone. 

Why was he healed? What was this procedure Minx was so excited to do?

Dream was always left with unanswered questions. 

It felt like a curse. 

Maybe it was. Maybe “Hibernis” was some evil deity which had cursed him. 

Dream almost wanted to laugh. The idea was funny to him. 

He let the laugh bubble in his throat, contracting his lungs. But nothing came out. 

Dream’s throat felt dry, even after the healing potion. Healing potions don’t fix hunger and thirst, after all. 

_Their goal is probably just to torture me. If I’m dead, they can’t do that._ Dream reasoned with himself. And yet, it felt deeper than just that. 

Exhaustion clouded Dream’s thoughts, and he let out a barely audible groan. 

Dream froze as the familiar sound of heeled boots entered the room. 

He looked up to see the familiar trio. 

Minx was dressed nicer than she was usually. Her boots were shined, her black gown shimmery and pristine, pairing nicely with her shimmery purple hair. 

The King was regal as ever, his crown gleaming in a way that was almost hazardous. 

Karl looked like he had brushed his hair a bit. 

“Special occasion?” Dream joked with himself, rolling his head back a bit and giving them all an unamused look. 

“You sound just as annoying as I thought you would.” Minx grumbled, smoothing her hands over her gown. “Let’s get this over with, Your Majesty. We’ve already been at sea for too long.” 

The King stepped back. “Very well. On with it.” He said, dismissively waving his hand. 

Minx knelt down beside Dream, pressing her cold fingers against his temples. Dream didn’t bite her this time, but he eyed her hand very closely. 

“Alright dipshit. Relax.” 

Okay, that was new. 

Dream snorted aloud, and Minx went red in the face. 

“This won’t work properly if you won’t relax-!” She said, her voice raising with every word, but she was quieted by the King outstretching a hand. 

“I think this might work for the better, Minx. We can forcibly relax him.” The King turned his gaze to Karl, who froze. 

The king unsheathed the sword which hung at his hip, and handed it to Karl. 

“Please say you’re gonna kill me.” Dream blurted out, and the King rolled his eyes. 

“I won’t give you the satisfaction. Go on, Jacobs.” 

Karl took nervous, slow steps towards Dream, holding the sword in his shaky grip. He placed his hands on the hilt, raising the sword above his head. 

Dream saw him mouth three words. 

_I’m so sorry._

The pommel hit Dream square on his head. 

It was all black.

*-*-*-

_The pitter patter of rain….._

_Warmth…_

_”Is he okay?_

_”I...I think he’s waking up. I feel his consciousness returning. Wait-! Don’t go, we don’t want to overwhelm him.”_

_Familiar voices…_

_It hurts, but it’s getting better…_

_Light._

_So much of it…..more and more…._

*-*-*-

Dream let his eyes flutter open. 

“He’s back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for such a short chapter...i just didn't want to cram too much into one! hi everyone! how are we? i, for one, am GREAT! we are at 10,000+ hits!!!! my goodness! thank you so sososososososo much for all of the love you are showing this fic, its absolutely astonishing! sorry my update schedule has been so sloww, finals week is upon me and i am suffering. although, holiday break approaches, and i can totally update throughout! thinking about a christmas themed chapter...what do we think of that? rambles aside, thank you so much for reading!!!! comments and kudos fuel me, without them i have no motivation haha! give me your theories!!!!!!! hope you enjoyed, see you guys <3


	18. Rain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's finally here!

“He’s back.” 

Dream’s senses came over him slowly. 

His head felt fuzzy, thoughts swimming.

But it was quiet. 

First, Dream recognized the forest-themed quilt which was lovingly draped over his body, making him feel warm and cozy.

Dream sat up, and it fell from his shoulders. 

He felt….strange. He looked at his hands, analyzing the calluses and scars. 

“Feelin’ okay?” 

Dream looked to his side. 

Beside the couch, sat Philza, watching Dream with a careful gaze. Dream nodded slowly. 

“I...I remember.” Dream said slowly, and Philza’s mouth slowly formed into a smile. 

The room was quiet, aside from the pitter patter of rain on the roof. Dream scanned the room. No one, it seems. 

A small hiccup was heard from the direction opposite to where Dream was looking. 

Dream looked over to the armchair beside the fireplace. 

There said Tubbo, in yet another forest-themed quilt. 

Toby. 

_His_ Toby. 

Dream’s eyes widened as he looked his baby brother up and down. Well, he wasn’t much of a baby anymore. He was much taller than he was when he was a child, naturally. His hair was still fluffy and brown, his eyes still big and blue, now wide with hope. 

Tubbo opened his mouth to say something, but it was cut off by Dream leaping from the couch and launching himself towards his brother. 

Tubbo let out a yelp, and Dream quickly slipped into the armchair, pulling Tubbo into his arms and holding him tight. 

“ _Oh my god._ ” Dream breathed. 

“Y-You remember..” Tubbo choked, and Dream could feel the oncoming tears. 

“I am so, _so_ sorry I ever even forgot.” Dream said, pulling away to look at Tubbo’s face. 

His eyes began to spill tears. “I dreamt about you, you know? I g-guess that mask kept me from recognizing you.” 

“I dreamt about you too.” Dream said, a soft smile creeping onto his face as he cupped his brother’s cheek with his hands and brushed away his tears. “I’m not gonna lose you ever again.” 

A sudden clap of thunder ripped through the sky. Tubbo jumped slightly, and Dream felt a twinge of pain in his head. He rubbed his temples, and Phil walked over. 

“Ah, I should’ve told you. M’ sorry.” He sighed, smoothing his hands over his sleeves. “Your mind is still kinda weak, y’know? I practically just...sowed your brain back together. Loud sounds and overwhelmin' things like that might give ya a little pain.” 

Dream sighed. “Yet another setback.” 

“Don’t blame yourself, now! You’ve been through a lot.” Phil placed a hand on Dream’s shoulder, giving him a gentle smile. Dream wholeheartedly returned it. 

“On that note, I’m gonna tell the boys to play gentle. I’ll be back.” Phil waved a little as he walked upstairs. 

Tubbo let his head fall into Dream’s chest, and Dream heard the boy sniffle as he rubbed his nose on Dream’s shirt. 

“You’re gross.” Dream chuckled, adjusting the quilt so that it’d drape over both of them well. Tubbo giggled, relaxing into his older brother. 

Dream was happy to sit like this. His younger brother in his arms, warm, safe, alive. 

It was all he had wanted for years. 

He almost found it sort of sweet. After being separated for years, Tubbo was the first person Dream found. 

Maybe the gods did care enough to meddle? 

Dream shook the thoughts out of his mind and focused on dragging his fingers slowly through Tubbo’s hair, painting a picture in his mind. He wouldn’t forget this. 

The moment was interrupted by the soft sound of feet making their way downstairs, the stairs creaking. 

A familiar brown-haired man entered the room. 

_Holy shit._

George stood on the last step, biting his lip nervously. Technically, this was not the first time Dream had seen George dressed in something non-formal, but it felt like it was. He was in a forest green sweater, the sleeves hanging low and hiding his hands (judging on how big it was, it was probably Wilbur’s. He had a thing for styling others). 

“Am I interrupting something?” He asked softly, humor laced into his tone. The corner of Dream’s mouth twitched in up in a smile, and Tubbo laughed. 

Tubbo moved the blanket off his shoulders, discarding it in Dream’s lap. “I’m gonna go make...tea! Or something.” He said, and walked off to the kitchen. 

Dream knew his brother. It may have been over a decade, but he hasn't really changed too much. It was an elaborate scheme to leave Dream and George alone together. 

Awkwardly, George walked down the last step and went over to sit down on the couch, one hand hugging his other arm close. 

It was quiet for a few moments. The rain beat against the roof, thunder rumbled quietly before clapping. Dream knew silence wouldn’t get them anywhere. 

So, he spoke his mind. 

“I am so, so sorry.” He said, staring down at his hands. He could feel George watch him. 

“I made you feel like a pawn. I used you, George. I did. I can’t deny it. I went into the job, knowing that our friendship couldn’t ever be real. But you-I-” He sighed. He was in too deep to stop now, so he kept going. 

“You made me want it to be real. I grew close to you. I stopped stealing off of you, I came to see you because I _wanted_ to. Because you were the highlight of my day.” He looked up to George. 

George was smiling. 

Dream stood and walked to the couch, sitting beside George. 

“I am so sorry. You mean so much to me, George. I didn’t mean for it to end the way it did.” 

George pulled Dream into a hug. Dream returned it, running a hand through George’s hair and keeping the other firmly on his friend’s back. 

“I forgive you.” George whispered. 

That was all Dream needed to hear. 

-

Tubbo had come back with tea, and the three sat on the couch. Dream’s head felt the ghost of a headache, which only grew stronger with every clap of thunder. 

Tubbo and George refrained from addressing the elephant in the room, and Dream was thankful. 

Their quiet peace was interrupted by the front door slamming open, the rain sounding so much louder with the door open. 

Crowding into the house, all soaking wet and talking very loudly, came Techno, Tommy, Wilbur and Sapnap. 

They seemed to not notice Dream sitting awake and maskless on the couch. 

“The wood is going to _swell!_ I won’t be able to use this guitar anymore!” Wilbur whined, holding his soaked acoustic guitar in his arms like one would hold a person. 

“Oh, toughen up, Big Man! You have like, five others that look exactly the same!” Tommy rolled his eyes, taking off his shoes and socks. 

“A guitar’s sound can be dependent on the manufacturer. All of my guitars were made by different people, so they sound different, even if the difference is miniscule. I got _this_ guitar from-” Wilbur’s ramble was interrupted by Sapnap swiping the beanie off of his head and wringing the water out. 

“Get a new one.” Sapnap said, dodging Wilbur’s hand which reached for his beanie. 

Techno rolled his eyes, wringing water out of his hair. He glanced over at the three on the couch, looking away, until he did a double take, eyes widening. 

“Uh. Guys.” Techno said softly. 

“Oh, pish! Sapnap, you don’t understand anything, do you?” Wilbur snarked, towering over Sapnap. Tommy howled with laughter. 

“Guys.” Techno said, his voice firm and louder. 

“Sapnap, I’ve never seen you so _red!_ ” Tommy wheezed, before barking out a laugh. 

“ _Guys!_ ” 

Techno’s tone made the three others stop laughing, and when the pink-haired man wildly gestured over towards the couch, the room somehow went even more quiet. 

Dream gave a semi wave, his nervous smile hurting his mouth. 

“You’re awake!” Tommy shouted, at the same time as Wilbur shouted, “You’re handsome!” 

Sapnap stood in silence. 

George and Tubbo laughed at Wilbur’s remark, Tommy quickly joining in and shoving Wilbur, who was a little red in the face. 

Dream kept a serious gaze on Sapnap. 

Tommy and Wilbur rushed to sit at Dream’s feet, hurriedly asking him questions that he could barely hear. Techno muttered something about going to go get Phil. 

Soon enough, Tubbo realized that Dream was paying no attention to the ongoing conversation, and gestured for Tommy and Wilbur to quiet down. 

Once the only sound in the room was the sound of beating rain, Sapnap spoke. 

“Do you remember?” He asked softly. 

Dream nodded. 

“Every little detail.” 

George bit his lip. He knew what this was about. 

Sapnap opened his mouth to say something, but Phil and Techno returned to the living room. 

“Oh my god, I told ya’ not to swarm him!” Phil sighed, rubbing his forehead. 

“You never told me you were so cute!” Wilbur purred, his voice saccharine. He folded his arms on Dream’s lap, resting his chin. Tommy made an overly-exaggerated expression of disgust. 

“You are _so_ gross.” Tommy said, and Tubbo snickered. 

“All jokes!” Wilbur shrugged. “George looks like he wants to rip me to shreds.” 

George made a confused face, and all of Dream’s tension melted away as he laughed. 

Sapnap seemed to walk off somewhere. Dream didn’t bother to watch him go. 

“Dream, you should get some rest. It’ll help your mind recover more. After you nap, we can talk memories.” Phil said, crossing his arms a little. It felt like more of a demand. 

“Tubbo, you too. You were pacin’ like crazy, you were shaking so hard I thought you were gonna start fazin’ through shit.” Phil turned an eye to Tubbo, who smiled sheepishly. 

“I need to sleep too.” George shrugged, and Tommy groaned. 

“You _always_ need to sleep, George. I haven’t known you for very long and you’ve slept the entire time you’ve been here.” 

George simply shrugged again.

The trio made their way upstairs, and when Tubbo and Dream turned to go to the brother’s room, George grabbed Dream’s sleeve. 

“Uhm. Wanna...come with me?” He asked quietly, averting eyes. Dream smiled and nodded. 

Tubbo turned back to the doorway, looking a little dejected. Dream quickly wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him close. 

“As long as Tubbo comes with.” 

George smiled.

-

The dark sky casted a muted blue light into the room, and it felt so cold one might think their breath would puff out of their mouth like smoke from a campfire. 

But, the trio was warm. 

Tubbo was curled up into Dream’s chest, face lost in the fabric of Dream’s clothes. Dream had his arms wrapped tightly around his little brother, bringing him even closer. George lay to face Dream, and the two quietly spoke, barely audible over the sound of rain on the rooftop. 

“I...completely forgot we had that conversation.” George whispered after Dream finished his retelling. Dream laughed quietly. 

“We did.” It was quiet for a few moments.

“I’m happy I have you back.” George said softly. 

Dream smiled. 

A knot formed in his stomach, and the hand that played with Tubbo’s hair became more feverish.

Was George really happy?

After he abandoned him?

Sent him off to be tortured?

Dream remembered the pain. 

He remembered the hollow feeling each time he woke up, realizing that for some reason he _couldn’t fucking die._

“I’m happy to be back.” 

George smiled back, nuzzling into the covers and closing his eyes. 

After a few moments, Dream could safely say he was asleep. 

Dream wasn’t alone anymore, but he still felt like he was. 

The rain drummed against the roof, a steady beat which competed with the thrumming of Dream’s heart in his ears. 

Somewhere between one beat and another, Dream fell asleep. 

-

When Dream awoke, the room was darker than before. The clouds looked black, and a lot of the light in the room was provided by a candle. 

George was sitting at the edge of the bed.

“George?” Dream asked softly, rubbing sleep from his eyes. He heard Tubbo whine into his clothes. 

George jumped, sucking in a breath. He played it off with a ( _nervous._ ) smile.

“Didn’t know you were awake.” 

Dream hummed in assent, sitting up slightly. “When did you wake up?” 

“Not too long ago. Everyone’s downstairs, Wilbur came in right as I woke up.” 

Dream shook Tubbo gently, and the brunette sat up slowly, stretching with a giant yawn. 

George’s shoulders were hunched, his expression quiet and serious. His brown eyes reflected the yellow glow of the candle. 

Tubbo slid over Dream, saying something about going down to eat. Dream barely heard him, but hummed in response. 

The door shut softly and after a few moments of silence, Dream scooted over to where George sat, wrapping his arms around the brunette’s waist and pulling him down. 

“I-What? Dream-!” George giggled, squirming in Dream’s grip. “Let me go!” 

“Mmmm...No!” Dream hummed into George’s shoulder. 

“What did I ever do to deserve this fate?” George sighed dramatically. 

“Acted sad as shit! Now, I’m not letting you go until you tell me what’s wrong.” 

Dream didn’t need to see George’s face to know that hit him. He stiffened, and his jaw seemed to set. 

Slowly, Dream slightly lifted George’s shirt, revealing the man’s stomach. Before George could react, Dream pressed his cold hand against George’s exposed skin. 

George let out a yelp, elbowing Dream in the chest. Dream only tightened his grip. 

“Okay okay! I yield!” George gasped as Dream began to tickle him. 

Dream wheezed. “Okay then, tell me what I want to hear.” 

Dream wanted to scream as he felt the mood grow serious again. As much as he hated the tension, he knew George needed to get what he was thinking off his chest. 

“You forgave me so fast.” George said softly. “I don’t even know what happened to you. But...I know it wasn’t anything good. If you were in the state that you were in before.” George paused for a moment, taking a deep breath. 

“Why did you forgive me?” 

“George,” Dream started, shifting so that his voice wasn’t muffled by George’s hair. “Do you remember that one time we sat on your balcony?” 

“There were many times we sat on my balcony.” George scoffed. 

Dream rolled his eyes. “Let me _finish_ , smartass.” He paused for a minute, letting the playful air turn serious again. “You told me about your dad.” 

George nodded. An indicator for Dream to move on. 

“After….after what I endured. After being arrested. I realized that you had no idea what was really going to happen to me.” 

“I ordered for you to be _arrested_!” George said breathlessly. 

“I betrayed you.” Dream countered softly. “You told me how Karl was your only friend. You told me you didn’t have any friends outside of the palace. You told me you never felt close to anyone like you did me. I _betrayed you._ And when our emotions get the best of us, we do stupid shit.” 

The room fell quiet again, and Dream feared that he had said something wrong. But, George turned over in his arms and pulled Dream into a hug, much like the one they shared before Dream recovered his memories. 

“Thank you.”

“ _I_ should be thanking _you_. I hurt you.” Dream said, hugging George tightly. 

“I don’t want to lose you. I had months to think. I thought about you.” George said. 

Dream smiled. 

They laid like that for what felt like years, until George groaned. 

“Mmkay, leggo.” 

Dream sat up and rubbed his face with a hand. 

“Downstairs?”

“Downstairs.”

-

The minute Dream stepped off the stairs, he was immediately bombarded with questions, whilst Phil shouted in the background for everyone to sit down. 

“Sit the fuck down!” Phil sighed, exasperated, and his sons (though begrudgingly) returned to their regular seats on the couch. 

Sapnap sat quietly, mug of something in his hands. He blowed at the steam, staring into the void of dark brown. 

Dream tried not to think about him. 

But, each time he blinked, he saw Sapnap vanishing over George’s balcony. He saw Sapnap scowling at him, spitting words that were never meant to meet anyone else’s ears. 

Each time he shifted to fidget with his clothes he felt Sapnap against his chest. In silence, he heard the bitterness in his tone. 

He was snapped out of his trance once Phil spoke, looking away from the ravenette and instead at his little brother.

“Dream, I do think it is time you told us about what you remember.” Phil says, folding his hands in his lap. “But, if ya’d like, I can poke around in your brain and see your memories myself. But, I don’t know if that’d be best for your recovering mind.” 

Dream winced. He thinks he’s quite done with having anyone other than him in his head. “It’s fine, I’ll just explain it.” 

“Storytime!” Tommy exclaimed gleefully. 

The room settled down, and Dream inhaled. He explained his memories with fluctuating detail, leaving out what he didn’t feel was important (such as, memories with Sapnap). By the time he finished and looked around the room. 

Everyone sat with mouths agape, expressions varying from shock, pity, and Tommy’s _I think I’m gonna be sick!_

The room burst into chatter, questions firing at Dream like shots from a crossbow. Some, not even towards Dream. 

“Why would you do that?” Wilbur asked Sapnap, eyes narrowed. 

“ _Boys!_ ” Phil shouted. The room fell quiet, eyes on Phil, who had his arms crossed. “I think it’s time we brought out the talking pillow.” 

Techno, WIlbur, Tommy and Tubbo all groaned aloud as Phil stood and went to grab something from a closet. George and Dream shared a confused look. 

Phil returned holding a large pillow, the pillowcase decorated with foxes, hedgehogs and dark green lines which seemed to represent blades of grass. He sat down, keeping the pillow on his lap. 

“We’re not kids anymore, Dad. We don’t _need_ the talking pillow.” Tommy whined. 

“I have the talking pillow, not you.” Phil quipped, and Tommy silenced with a defeated sigh. 

“So. Whoever has the talking pillow is the only person who can talk. If ya want the talking pillow next, raise ya hand. I’m the only person who can talk even when I don’t have the talking pillow.” Phil explained. 

“‘I’m Dadza and I’m above the law!’” Tommy said in a mocking voice, and Tubbo giggled beside him. 

“Keep talkin’ and stable duty’s yours till’ next year.” 

Tommy went silent yet again. 

“Alright,” Phil sighed. “I think it’s only fair that Dream gets the pillow first. Raise your hand if ya want it next. Ask your question, then toss it back to Dream.” 

Phil tossed the pillow to Dream. It landed in his arms with a _thwump!_ The minute Dream had the pillow in his lap, hands shot up all around the room. 

Dream scanned the room, his gaze landing on Wilbur who eagerly had his hand in the air. “Uhm, Wilbur.” Dream said awkwardly, launching the pillow across the room and towards Wilbur. It landed perfectly in the brunette’s lap. 

Wilbur smiled at Dream before immediately turning his attention to Sapnap. “Sapnap, I know you’re having a lot of internal turmoil. We all can understand why. But, what you did was, to say the least, super dickish. Why’d you do that? And why’d you act happy to see Dream when you guys met again?” 

Phil opened his mouth, brow furrowing, but he was cut off by the pillow soaring back across the room and Sapnap speaking. 

“Why aren’t we asking princey boy the same question?” He said nonchalantly. 

_Okay, that’s it. I’ve had enough_

“Because _I_ hurt George. I apologized, he forgave me. I apologized to you-” Dream began, voice rising with every word. 

“Talkin’ pillow.” Phil warned. Dream practically ripped the pillow out of Sapnap’s arms, hugging it close to his chest. 

“-I apologized to you and I thought you forgave me. When in actuality, you didn’t give a _shit_.”

“I didn’t know what to _do!_ ” Sapnap said, exasperated. 

Dream clung to the pillow. “Let me explain, maybe?” 

“It’s been _months_ , Dream. I’ve had time to think and I’ve been ready to properly apologize-”

“ _Months?_ ” Dream said, voice quiet. “I was being tortured for _months?_ ” 

“That answers my question.” Tommy said with a shrug. Phil shot him a look. 

“Yeah Dream. Months. I’ve been thinking too.” Sapnap said. The room went quiet. 

“Are you sorry?” Dream asked softly. 

“Like hell.” Sapnap responded, just as soft. “I thought about it so much. How scared you looked. How reckless it was. How I didn’t even know what was happening to you. And what was happening-” Sapnap suddenly got choked up. He paused, breathing through his swell of emotions. 

“What was happening to you was worse than what I thought.” 

Sapnap’s words hung heavy in the air. 

Dream stared down at the orange fox on the pillow case, outlining its snout. He tossed the pillow to the ground, outstretching his arms. 

Sapnap took his queue with grace, collapsing into Dream’s arms and clinging to him. 

“I forgive you.” 

-

“‘Hiems Adfert Mortem Flores’” Phil echoed. 

The family was sitting behind the dinner table, candle light illuminating the books and papers scattered on the table. 

“My kingdom is named Camellia, that _has_ to be an anti-nobility sentiment.” George said, resting his head in his hands. 

Phil nodded. “ _Winter brings the death of flowers._ Hibernis means Winter. Definitely an anti-nobility sentiment.” 

“Why’s this important for us to know?” Dream said suddenly. “I mean, we discovered my lost memories. End of story, right?” 

Phil snorted. “Pretty much every person in this home is now revered as a criminal. We can’t go back into the city.” It’s silent for a few moments before Phil speaks again. “I’ve still been receiving news from the city. Seems like tensions are rising with the Kingdom of Middarria.” 

George groaned, resting his chin on his hand. “That old bastard keeps pushing into their territory, saying it’s ‘rightfully his’ or some shit.” 

Techno raised an eyebrow. “Not very fond of dear ol’ dad, are we?” 

George scowled. “Who is?” 

Phil leaned in. “George, you’re not….approving of your father?” 

George shook his head. “Being a part of the nobility was never something I seriously enjoyed, if I’m being completely honest. I’m just a figurehead. I get pushed around by my father all day, who _loves_ making his power known.” 

“His laws and regulations are insane. Those stupid ‘magic permits’ are insanely hard to get.” Wilbur muttered. 

“That’s exactly why so many people keep dying in the winters. If the general public had access to magic, many more people would be safer when diseases thrive.” George leaned back into his chair, crossing his arms. 

“You didn’t strike me as someone smart.” Techno said. George rolled his eyes, and Dream let a smile tug at his lips.

“So the king is like, public enemy number one?” Tommy asked, hands behind his head. 

“Enemy is...a strong word.” Phil said hesitantly. 

“Why not enemy? I don’t think there's anyone who does like the king.” Techno shrugged.

“I’m still only a step below nobility.” Phil said with a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. 

“Yeah, but you’re hiding a declared enemy of the kingdom in your home and aided him in kidnapping the prince.” Techno countered.

“Shots fired.” Sapnap said with a teasing lilt to his voice. 

“Would joining Hibernis be an option?” Tubbo asked quietly from the end of the table. All eyes turned to him, and he seemed to palen a little. “I’m just thinking-”

“No no, Tubbo, you’re right.” Techno reassured, sitting up straight. “For lack of better words, the king is public enemy number one. We can’t go back to living regularly until the king can’t give orders anymore.” 

“That’s a bit drastic, don't you think? We can talk to him-” Phil began. 

“Talking won’t work.” George interrupted. “I know my father, he won’t listen. He’ll keep Dream locked up, and the rest of you too. Entering the city and trying to _talk_ to the king is practically a suicide mission.” 

“He’s probably even more deranged now that you’re not there.” Wilbur added. 

“Psh, he loves me like a dragon loves it’s gold, nothing more. But, I’m sure there’s plenty of civil unrest to make him want me back as well.” George said. 

Phil considers everything, taking in their words. He waits a few moments before nodding. “Alright then. We barely know anything about Hibernis, though. Where would we find out?” 

Dream sits up. “The Old House.” 

Sapnap’s eyes widened. “Oh _shit_ dude, you’re right!” 

Phil raises an eyebrow. 

“The Old House is the housing unit the king gave the survivors of our village. We lived there for like, ages. I know for a fact that _someone_ who used to live with us was a part of Hibernis. It’s our best bet.” Dream explained. Eyes lit up around the table. 

“That’d require going back to the city, though.” Wilbur said solemnly. 

“I don’t think there’s a plan that wouldn’t require us going back.” Tubbo said with a small sigh. 

The table goes quiet again, everyone in thought. Techno breaks the silence. 

“So...we go back to the city and rummage through your old stuff?” 

“I think it’d work.” Sapnap said, and a chorus of “me too”’s sounded from around the table. 

All eyes were on Phil. He scratched his chin before smiling. 

“Alright then. It’s a plan.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi everyone! sorry for my absence <3 thank you so much for your continual support!!! means the world to me, truly!! i know this chapter has been really hyped up, so i hope i met your expectations! sorry about making you guys have to reread the previous chapters to keep info fresh, maybe the rereading helps you guys find some more clues?! anyway, i hope you enjoyed!!! i might publish a christmas themed chapter just for the fun of it, but i'd maybe upload it seperately so that it doesn't interfere with the flow of the story. comments and kudos are fuel!! theres going to be LOTS of new people appearing soon, tell me who you think it'll be! see you guys <3


	19. Nostalgia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy belated holidays :)

The rest of the night and the following day were all spent planning for their return to the city. It would be difficult to get back in, and after much conversation, they decided Sapnap would head into the city first and ask an old friend for a favor. 

( _”Be safe, yeah?” Dream said, helping Sapnap onto his horse._

_”I’m not the wanted criminal, dude.” He responded with a smirk._

_”Yet._

_”Whatever.”_ )

On the dawn of the third day, the remaining few prepared to head out to the city again. Dream rubbed his eyes, reaching over Tubbo to grab his mask. Tubbo grabbed his wrist and Dream looked down at him, confused. 

“They’ll be looking for that mask.” Tubbo said softly. 

Dream thought about it. 

The mask remained on the nightstand. 

“Alright.” Phil said once everyone had dressed and readied themselves outside of the farmhouse. “Tommy and Tubbo, you two are in charge of the house while we’re gone.” 

“ _What?!_ ” Tommy shouted. Techno winced at his volume. 

“This could be dangerous, you’re staying behind.” Phil reiterated. 

“No way.” Tubbo said firmly. 

“Tubbo, come on. We can’t-” Dream tried to reason, but Tubbo quickly cut him off. 

“I’m not losing you again.” Dream felt a pang of guilt with Tubbo’s words, and turned to Phil. 

Phil sighed. “Fine. As long as you two promise to listen to all orders.” 

Tommy and Tubbo immediately brighten up, cheering to themselves and promptly whispering something to one another. 

“So we’re supposed to meet someone at the gate who’ll let us in?” Phil asked as he and Dream checked their horses. 

“A little bit on the outskirts of the city, yeah. Old friend.” Dream confirmed, adjusting his saddle. Phil nodded. 

Dream glanced down at the sword at his side. It was the one he woke up with, the one he doesn’t remember passing out with. 

Maybe he’ll find the answer to that too.

They mounted their horses, mostly in pairs. George with Dream, Wilbur with Techno, Tommy with Tubbo, and Phil on his own. 

The group rode their horses to the edge of the farm. Phil pressed his opened palm onto the glassy surface of the barrier, before looking back. 

“Are we all ready?” He asked. 

Tommy and Tubbo cheered eagerly, Wilbur gave double thumbs up and Techno simply nodded. 

“Alright then.” 

The opening formed, and the group passed through. Dream glanced behind him, watching the opening close, and the farm house vanishing into the forest. 

-

“Seventeen bottles of beer on the wall, seventeen bottles of beer! Take one down, pass it around, sixteen bottles of beer on the wall!” 

Tommy and Tubbo had been singing the annoying folk song for nearly an hour or so. Two repeats later, they were still going at it. When they had first begun, Dream sang along, but at around 87 he started getting annoyed. 

“Please _stop_.” Techno groaned, dragging a hand down his face. Tubbo and Tommy ignored him completely, much to Phil’s amusement. 

They continued to trekk along the forest path, the only sounds being the crunch of leaves under their horses’ hooves and Tommy and Tubbo’s obnoxious singing. 

Soon enough, Dream could see the gates come through the fog. 

“Do we stop here?” Phil asked. Dream shook his head. 

“No, we stop when our friend stops us. I don’t see him anywhere, so we should keep going a little more.” 

Phil bit his lip, but they continued on. 

It was a little off-putting to see Phil nervous. He always seemed to have some sort of plan, and laughed in the face of danger. Dream could understand why he’d be nervous, though. 

They crossed the cobblestone bridge, and the gate only seemed to get bigger. 

Dream nearly jumped out of his skin when a voice sounded beside him. 

“Is that-!” 

Dream whipped his head to the side to see a familiar beanie-wearing man, a classic shit-eating grin on his face. 

“Quackity!” Dream exclaimed, hopping off his horse. 

“Ayo- Sap never told me you were _sexy!_ ” Quackity said, hugging Dream. 

“Focusing on my face and not the fact that I’ve been missing for a few months, eh?” Dream teased. 

“Sappy explained it to me in an owl. Sorry that happened. Or good for you, I didn’t finish it reading the whole thing.” He shrugged, and Dream burst into laughs. 

“This must be the troubled family?” Quackity said, peeking over Dream’s shoulder. 

“Hey- do _not_ call them that-” Dream tried to interject, but Quackity was on a roll. 

“Quite the crowd! Two kids, alright alright….a hybrid and some other guy!” He said, stopping in front of Techno and Wilbur’s horse. 

“ _Some other guy._ ” Wilbur echoed, amusement laced in his words. 

“And you must be _sueño de papá!_ ” Quackity exclaimed extending a hand to Phil. 

Phil shook it hesitantly, and Dream found himself wheezing. 

“And this-oh my god, Dream, I totally forgot you kidnapped the fucking prince!” Quackity said, barely containing his own laughter. 

“Some friend you have, Dream! This guy’s a total dickhead!” Tommy retorted, gripping his horse’s reins. 

“Hey! Watch it, kid.” Quackity snapped. 

“Why couldn’t have Sapnap sent Punz or something.” Dream sighed as he got back onto his horse. 

“Don’t talk like that, you love me.” Quackity said. 

“Eh, don’t know about that.” 

Quackity shot Dream a glare, and Dream wheezed a little.

“Alright, big man. I think I should take the reins for this one.” Quackity said to Phil. 

Phil immediately scooted back, gesturing with his hands for Quackity to get on. “Please.” The man said. He already sounded incredibly drained. 

“Your Highness, you might wanna lay low a little. Guess that applies to everyone, but mostly to the most recognizable person here.” Quackity said. Dream couldn’t help but notice the teasing lilt in his voice. 

Everyone shifted with their clothing, trying to hide their faces in a non-suspicious way. George, though, seemed to be struggling. Dream unraveled his scarf and wrapped it around George, making sure it covered half of the man’s face. 

“They’re looking for the mask.” Dream said when George gave him a confused look. 

“Thanks.” George responded, a little muffled. Dream smiled. 

After all clothing adjustments were made, Quackity led them onwards. Thankfully, Tommy and Tubbo had forgotten about their annoying folk song. But, it felt unusually quiet. 

“So, how’s this going to work?” Phil asked. 

“Easy. I know one of the guys who works this shift, he knows I bring friends into the city all the time. He won’t spare a second glance, guarantee.” Quackity shrugged. 

“Feels a little too good to be true.” Techno grumbled. 

Quackity grinned. “Welcome to business with me, baby!”

Soon enough, the group reached the walls. Dream felt George shift to fiddle with the scarf’s fraying edges. 

“Hey!” Quackity shouted, a grin on his face. One of the knights perked up, waving. 

“Sup, man! Quite the caravan you’ve got with you today.” He said. 

“Yeah, yeah. Old family friends from Narfolk, ain’t that right?” Quackity said casually, turning back to look at the group. Dream feigned a smile and nodded. 

“Narfolk, eh? Pretty place, innit?” The knight said. 

_Why the small talk? Why won’t he let us through?_

“Oh yes, definitely. The trees here are nothing like they are at home, but it’s exciting to have a change of scenery. Camellia is so vast!” Wilbur said. Dream had to keep himself from showing his surprise. Naturally Wilbur knew about this town. 

The knight made a noise of assent, pulling out a notebook. 

“Hey man, sorry for the rush, but what’s the hold up? I needa meet someone in the city, given’ the folks a proper tour.” Quackity said. Dream _needed_ to praise both his and Wilbur’s acting skills after this. 

“Well, you’ve heard about the Prince, right?” 

Quackity hissed in a breath. “Shit, that’s right. Forgot he went missing. The whole case is weird as _shit_.” 

“It is. They’re makin’ us regulate who comes in and out, just for safety.” 

Dream could see the nervousness siege Quackity’s posture, but he quickly straightened himself. “Are there gonna be complications with us entering or whatever? I’d totally understand, if so. I can probably take the crowd over to Barcombe, it’s not far and I heard the scenery’s pretty.” 

Dream inhaled. They didn’t have a backup plan, not one that Dream knew of. 

“Nah, nah. You’re good, ‘specially since I know ya. I can second ya, if anything.” The knight shrugged. Relief surged through Dream, and he could see Quackity smile. 

“Awesome.” 

The knight scribbles something in his notebook before storing it away and moving to the crank. 

The gates open slowly, and Quackity motions for everyone to follow him. 

“Hope you enjoy our city!” The knight calls. Quackity waves enthusiastically before turning around, his expression dropping entirely. 

“Hate that guy, seriously. Stupid accent.” Quackity grumbles. Phil chuckles. 

“I’m not liking this crowd.” George whispers nervously into Dream’s ear. 

“It’s okay. Lay low, we’re nearly where we need to be.” 

Dream took the lead, maneuvering through streets both crowded and quiet until they met a brick house on the outskirts of town. Outside the house stood a familiar ravenette. 

Sapnap waved, and the group hopped off their horses. 

“Thanks for doing this for me, Q.” Sapnap said, grabbing Quackity and pulling him into a hug. 

“‘Course, man! It’s been a while since you and I hung out. Like, properly. I’m gonna head home now, if you need anything, you know where to find me.” Quackity said. After a few parting words, the man vanished down the street. 

Dream looked the house up and down, practically breathing in the nostalgia. 

“It’s abandoned, I checked.” Sapnap said, walking to stand beside Dream. 

“No annoying old lady?” Dream joked. 

“Nope.” 

“Homeless people?”

“Nuh-uh.” 

“Dead bodies?” 

“Can we just go inside, please?” Tommy whined. 

Dream walked up the stairs, placing a hand on the door. 

He almost felt like, the moment he opened it, he’d be met with an angry Linda, going on about how he was late to be home. 

But when the door creaked open, he was met with nothing. 

The house looked almost identical as to how he remembered it, aside from furniture being thrown around and dirt covering the floors. 

“Alright!” Sapnap sighed. “I think the most logical place for us to start looking would be bookshelves.” 

“You said someone who lived here was most likely a member of Hibernis. Which room was theirs?” Tubbo asked, sniffling with the dust. 

“Oh, Fern, probably.” Dream shrugged. “Upstairs, first door to the left. Be careful though- those stairs could give way.” 

Tubbo nodded and walked over to the staircase. He began making his way up, carefully, each step creaking under his feet. He had a hand on the railway, until-

Tubbo let out a shriek as the railway groaned and toppled over, collapsing on the floor with a crash, dust billowing 

Tommy coughed loudly, making his way over to Tubbo. “We just _can’t_ leave you alone, can we?” 

The two vanished upstairs, a little shaken, but in one piece. That was what mattered. 

Dream turned to a bookshelf that wasn’t already being searched, scanning over books. He resorted to pulling books out and shaking them, just to make sure nothing was stuck between the pages. 

After about forty-five minutes, no one had found anything, and the group began to get disheartened. Tommy thought he had found an address, but it turns out it was just an assortment of randomly placed together numbers. 

Dream was reaching the end of his bookcase, and the end of his patience. 

His finger landed on a mahogany colored book, with no title on it’s spine. He pulled the book out, turning it over in his hands. In fancy dark silver lettering, the cover read:

_Hexes and Charms: Small Spells with Big Effects._

Dream paused. 

Magic use is illegal amongst commoners unless the commoner in question has a magic permit. No one in the household had a magic permit, meaning this book is _very much so illegal._

Dream immediately flips the book over, shaking it. 

A small, yellowed sheet of paper gingerly falls out of the pages, and Dream catches it midair. He turns it over, reading the cursive on the page. 

_Jagged Tree- 20th, Manimore Lane_

_Ubi Hiems Dormit._

-

“Where the winter sleeps.” Phil translates with a grin, gently holding the paper in his hand. “We’ve got ourselves an address, and a phrase that evidently seems to be pointing to Hibernis so-”

“We found it!” Tommy cheered. 

“Isn’t Jagged Tree a pub?” Wilbur asked, quirking an eyebrow. 

“It is.” Sapnap nodded. “Kinda a stereotypical place for a secret, underground, illegal organization to meet.” Dream snorted. 

“So we can head out now, right?” Tommy asked eagerly. 

Phil shook his head. 

“No way. It’s gonna be dark soon, and we should expect heightened night patrol. Plus, we don’t know if Hibernis is even there anymore. Best bet? Find somewhere to crash, get going tomorrow.” Phil explained. Tommy groaned. 

“Where could we stay?” Techno asked. 

Wilbur shrugged. “Inn?” 

“Too suspicious.” Phil said, shaking his head. 

“We could always just go home.” Sapnap said, turning to Dream.

Dream shook his head. “A big group of people, all hiding their features, disappearing into an alleyway in the middle of the night? Might as well just turn ourselves in.” 

The group went silent as everyone thought.

Sapnap suddenly snapped, his face breaking into a grin. 

“Why not meet up with our lovely tour guide again?”

“Quackity? Would he let us stay over?” Dream asked, quirking an eyebrow. 

“Totally. Plus, if anyone sees us, his little knight friend can back him up.” 

Dream looked around. Everyone seemed to be nodding in agreement. 

Sapnap clapped his hands together gleefully. “It’s a plan, then!”

-

Sapnap knocked on the wooden door a few times. Everyone hugged their cloaks closer to themselves, shivering with the cold and glancing side to side in case a guard seemed to spring out of nowhere. 

The door swung open, warm air blowing in the faces of the group. 

“Yo, Sapnap!” Quackity said happily. “I knew you’d end up needing a place!”

“Yeah, yeah. Don’t be so loud, dude.” Sapnap whisper yelled, but he was smiling. 

“Oh right, forgot you were wanted.” Quackity deadpanned. “Come in!” 

Everyone came inside, sighing with the temperature change. 

Quackity’s home was very warm, a big fireplace burned in the living room, a pot standing in it. 

“Sorry, I already have some friends over. Nobody you two don’t know.” Quackity said, gesturing to Dream and Sapnap. “Skeppy! Ponk! We’ve got more people here!” 

The group walked into the living room to find two men sitting on a rug, talking casually. They looked up and smiled, waving at the group. 

“New faces? Other than Sapnap and Dream, of course. Good to see you two.” Ponk said with a small wave. 

“Yeah, whole ass family on a quest.” Quackity said, walking over to his pot and stirring. 

“Quest, huh? What for?” Skeppy asked. 

“Underground, illegal organization. You interested?” Sapnap joked, sitting down. 

Quackity raised an eyebrow. “Hold on-you serious?” 

“He is.” Phil said, leaning back onto his hands. 

Skeppy smirked. “Go on.” 

“Ever heard of Hibernis?” Techno asked. 

Quackity, Skeppy and Ponk’s expressions all morphed into those of surprise. 

“Hold on- _Hibernis?_ I’ve heard very little of them, but everything I’ve heard has depicted them as super dangerous. The only organization who has ever even come remotely close to overthrowing the King.” Ponk said. Quackity and Skeppy nodded in agreement. 

“Yeah, believe it or not.” Sapnap shrugged. 

Skeppy grinned. “Dude- thats _awesome!_ I’m so sick of this King, can’t wait till’ the old fool drops dead.” 

“You can say that again.” George said laughingly. 

Skeppy paused. 

“That voice...” Ponk said slowly. 

“Oh. Whoops.” George said. Skeppy’s eyes went as wide as saucers. 

“ _The Prince is joining Hibernis too?!_ ”

“Keep it down, fuckface!” Sapnap giggled, swatting at Skeppy’s arm. 

Dream smiled. “Okay, okay. Let me explain.” 

-

Ponk leaned back onto his hands, exhaling. “ _Wow._ ”

“Yup.” Wilbur said with a smile. 

Quackity handed out bowls of mushroom stew. “Man, I think this is the most exciting thing to ever happen to me. Like, my very own business partner and friends are a part of an underground organization!” 

“I was almost scared you’d be critical.” Phil said, taking a bowl from Quackity’s hands. 

“Us? Critical? We work for the Dark Market, almost as illegal as it gets.” Ponk said, bringing the bowl to his mouth and slurping loudly.

“Seriously man. The king has to be the worst thing to happen to anyone.” Quackity grumbled, sitting down. “Maybe Hibernis has room for three more, too?” 

Dream raised an eyebrow. “You serious?” 

Quackity grinned. “You willing to take us along?” 

Dream looked over at the rest of his group. Phil and Techno shared a shrug, Wilbur nodded. Tubbo and Tommy were too busy with their stews. Sapnap gave Dream an eager smile. 

Quackity, Skeppy and Ponk burst into cheers, high-fiving one another. 

“You guys know where they are, right?” Skeppy asked. 

“We have an idea.” Phil said. 

“That’s enough for me.” Ponk said with a content smile. 

“Now we have more of a crowd.” Techno sighed. “A buncha’ criminals, a legal merchant, and the Prince. Fun.” 

George hummed into his stew. Dream looked over at him, and the two made eye contact. Not looking away from George’s eyes, Dream firmly poked George in the ribs. George squeaked, lifting his bowl above his head. “You can’t do that- I’m holding stew!” 

“Oh, that’s right. You had a job with the Prince, right Dream?” Skeppy asked, tilting his head to the side. 

George became more solemn at that, looking into his stew. 

“Uh, yeah. I did. Didn’t work out the way I expected to, I guess.” Dream said slowly. 

“What? Forbidden romance type beat?” Quackity joked. Dream wheezed, and George groaned. 

After mindlessly talking for a bit, the group became more and more sleepy. Slurring their words, yawning in between stories. Eventually, they all decided it was time to head to bed. Quackity brought them all bedrolls, and the group got situated. 

After whispering to one another, Techno complained about needing sleep. All the remaining candles went out, and the only light was provided by the fireplace. 

Dream watched George’s chest rise and fall, his breathing becoming slower with each inhale. 

_It must be a lot for him. To go against his parents like this. Join a group that wants them dead._ Dream thought to himself, frowning a bit. He remembered the way George’s brow furrowed whenever his father received praise. His breathless ranting, the way he would complaining about “being nothing but a figurehead.” 

_But there’s some love for his father somewhere, right?_ Or is Dream naive for thinking that way? After all, the time he had spent with his own parents was happy. George can’t say the same. 

Dream moved closer, their bedrolls already touching. He was close enough to hear George’s inhales and exhales. Dream listened to them, counting up. 

How would Hibernis react to royalty? 

Would they be upset?

Would they use him to their advantage?

_Will they hurt him?_

No, Dream won’t allow that. 

Eventually, Dream’s breathing began to sync with George’s, his train of thought washing away until he slipped into a quiet sleep. 

-

When Dream wakes up, George is still in his bedroll behind him, sleeping softly. Sunlight streams from the windows in front of him, casting the room with a soft grey light. Dream hears hushed voices conspire behind him. He can make out Phil actually trying to whisper, whilst Quackity spits hushed retorts. Wilbur’s voice is clear and clean, despite his obvious attempt to keep quiet. He is immediately met with urgent shushing. Dream chuckles, his shoulders shaking. A clear indicator that he is no longer sleeping.

“Oh, great. Resident Asshole’s awoken from his beauty sleep.” Sapnap teased, breaking the silence in the room. Dream shifts in the covers, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. 

“About time. We can’t prepare without him.” Skeppy says, his voice sounding further away. 

George groans, rolling over to lay on his back. Dream prods between his ribs, causing George to contract, grabbing at his side. 

“Get up.” Dream says, fighting back a yawn. 

“Cruel.” George mutters. Dream responds by poking him again. 

Eventually, the two get up and roll their covers away. Quackity hands out leftover stew, and after breakfast is finished, _real_ preparation begins. 

Phil goes over the book from the Old House, looking for any more Hibernis related things. Quackity, Ponk and Techno create go-packs for everyone with essentials, in case of emergency, whilst Sapnap and Dream search their memory with Tommy and Tubbo’s (dubious) assistance. 

“Sapnap, your parents _did_ take you to one of those meetings before, right?” Dream asked, vaguely remembering his friend’s absence. 

“ _What?!_ ” Tommy cried. “And you didn’t tell us?!” 

“ _Well,_ ” Sapnap began defensively, giving Tommy a look. “I barely remember it. I just went with my dad to like, the village over and I played in the dirt while my dad talked to some guy.” 

Tubbo’s head fell into his hands. “We’re never gonna figure anything out from this.” 

“ _I was ten!_ ”

-

Nothing but the go-packs came out successful, much to everyone’s disappointment. 

Nothing was found in the book (Phil had gone on about how he felt like a “wrongin’” for looking through such an illegal book), and Tubbo and Tommy’s “investigation” eventually turned into a blown-out argument between Sapnap and Tommy. 

As quickly as morning came, so did the evening, which brought darkness. Despite the black sky and dim streets, pubs glowed bright yellow, laughter and music pouring out through the cracks in doorways. 

The group stood, some with new accessories to better hide their identities, in front of Quackity’s door. 

“Ready, yeah?” Phil asked. Everyone made noises of assent. Phil nodded, and opened the door. 

The night was cold, and the only sound was the sound of everyone’s footsteps. Snow lay on rooftops and lined the edges of some street, glistening under people’s windows. Quackity whispered directions, occasionally pointing and directing. He knew the city better than the rest of the group. 

Only once did they ever have to duck and avoid guards, sometimes even resorting to skipping streets and working around the street that had the most guards. Once, they were caught, but thanks to Quackity’s lovely acting skills, the group passed through with no issue. 

Eventually Quackity stopped in front of a cobblestone building, breath clouding in front of his face as he sighed proudly. 

“We’re here!” He announced. 

The Jagged Tree Pub and Inn seemed like a lively place. Folk music was heard even from the outside, complimented by the chatter, laughter, and clinking of cups and plates. Dream would never assume it to be the hiding place of a dangerous secret organization. 

“In we go?” Ponk asked, disturbing everyone’s thoughts. 

Dream swallowed. “Yup.” 

Quackity pushed open the heavy dark oak door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> post chapter ramble lets go! sorry for my absence, i was trying so hard to get this out yesterday as a little gift but time slipped out of my hands. how can people get new chapters out weekly? having an update schedule sounds terrifying. we are getting to my favorite part of the story!!! i feel like the moss has been really lacking in the fantasy feel i was going for. hopefully these next few chapters will really establish the vibe i demand. my biggest fear is that i accidentally left a "pink" or a "subpoena" in the chapter that i publish. that would be incredibly embarrassing. autocorrect is the bane of my existence. anywho, i formally request you comment! silent readers kill fanfiction, as they say. your comments give me fuel, i promise i read each and every one, even if i dont respond! drop theories, loveeee seeing those. till next time, see you guys <3


	20. Winter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lore, anyone?

Quackity pushed open the heavy dark oak door.

The noise only got louder as the group made their way into the pub. People danced drunkenly, laughing at nothing. Others solemnly sat at tables with vacant chairs, eating comfort food and surrounded by empty mugs. A folk band stood on a small stage, singing songs no one quite knew the words to, but the melody was familiar enough. 

No sign of anything Hibernis related.

George nervously fiddled with his scarf, tugging it further up his face. Dream slipped his hand into George’s, giving it a reassuring squeeze. George squeezed back. 

“See anything?” Dream shouted over the noise as the band finished a song and the pub burst into applause. Phil shook his head, biting his lip. Dream scanned over the crowd, seeing a bartender absentmindedly cleaning a beer mug behind the counter. An idea sparked. Dream reached into his pocket, grabbing the paper they had found in the Old House. He walked over to the counter, tugging a confused George along with him. 

Dream stopped in front of the counter, extending the paper a little towards the bartender. The bartender looked up, giving Dream a confused look. 

“Ubi Hiems Dormit.” Dream recited carefully, leaning over the counter a bit so that only the bartender could hear his words. 

The bartender’s eyes widened a little, and he took the paper from Dream’s hands, analyzing it before handing it back. 

“See that curtain over there?” The bartender said, flicking his eyes over to the corner of the room. Dream followed his gaze, seeing the said black curtain which covered a doorway. Dream nodded. 

“Through there and down the stairs. Third door to your right.” The bartender said. Dream thanked him, and the man dipped his head. “May you be safe.”

Dream guided his friends over to the curtain quietly, making sure they passed through the crowd as regular bargoers. Holding the curtain aside and letting everyone pass through, Dream scanned the crowd. No eyes were on him, it seems. He ducked behind the curtain. 

A spiral staircase jutted straight down, the bars made of metal. Dream held onto the freezing cold stone wall, guiding himself down and being careful as to not focus on the _steep, steep_ drop below them. 

A hand slipped into his own, and Dream saw George flash him a gentle smile. 

They continued down the stairs. 

Once they reached the bottom, they were immediately met with a narrow hallway. Doors lined either side, and the only thing illuminating the hallway was a lone torch propped up on the wall. 

“Third to the right.” Dream calls to Sapnap, who was ahead of him. They pause outside the door which supposedly holds Hibernis. Dream leans in and places an ear against the cold wood. Hushed voices. He nods towards Sapnap, and they open the door. 

Inside, a large group of people sit around a table. Their talking grows louder as the door opens, but is quickly silenced as all heads turn the door. All faces are unfamiliar and painted with alarm, _except for one._

A person with bright blonde hair, almost white, shoots out of their seat, blue eyes wide. 

“ _Fern?!_ ” Sapnap exclaims from beside Dream, voicing his thoughts. 

A woman seated at the head of the table looks up at Fern, confusion on her face. “Do you know the intruders?” She asks. Fern nods eagerly, dashing towards the door and wrapping Sapnap and Dream in a hug. 

“I-I thought something unspeakable happened to you two!” They cry, before letting go and looking over the pair fondly. “You’ve both aged so much!” 

“You never told us you were a part of Hibernis!” Sapnap exclaims, resting a hand on Fern’s shoulder. 

“That’s not just something you drop on unsuspecting teenagers. Plus, I couldn’t say. Not with Linda around.” Fern explains. Someone clears their throat from back at the table, and Dream looks over to see the woman from before. 

“So, you know these people.” She says, eyes narrowed. 

“Sapnap and Dream only. The rest? No idea.”

“Wait-you know a third! Tubbo, c’mere.” Dream says, turning around. Fern gasps as Tubbo walks up nervously to stand beside his brother. Before Fern can fondle over the boy, the woman speaks again. 

“Okay, so three are clear. But there is a large group behind them, all of which you do not know. Hibernis isn’t some fun little club where we hold hands and sing folklore songs.” The woman scowls, crossing her arms. 

“If Dream, Sapnap and Tubbo trust them, then I do too.” Fern says firmly. The woman ponders the words for a moment, before waving her hand as if to clear the air. 

“Sure. Mental checks will be required, though. This is a big group.” She says, her voice still cold and harsh, and turns to a man who sits beside her. 

“Who are you all anyway?” Sounds a voice from the table. A young boy sits there, blonde hair tousled and purple eyes jutting across the group. He looks not a year older than Tubbo, and doesn’t sound like it either. 

The group goes around in order introducing themselves, until the stop at George. George palens, and Dream moves closer to him. 

“Well?” Asks the purple-eyed boy, leaning his head into his hand. 

“Why won’t you take the scarf off?” Another asks. George moves even closer to Dream. 

“Yeah!” Agrees the boy. “It just makes you look more suspicious.” 

George shook his head. 

“It’s for safety reasons-” Dream begins, but is swiftly cut off by the woman. 

“Take off the scarf before I throw you into the snow outside. Hibernis is built on loyalty and ability to listen to orders. If you possess neither of those qualities, you don’t belong anywhere near us.”

Dream’s heart feels like its going to beat out of it’s chest as George slowly moves to remove the scarf. The room falls silent. 

“I’m George.” He says softly. 

The woman looks like she’s about to explode. 

“ _Fern!_ Your little friends have brought a member of the royal family straight to Hibernis. This is dangerous! Do you understand the risk Hibernis is now at?!” She screams. Dream placed his hand on the grip of his sort, moving to stand in front of George. 

George places a hand on Dream’s shoulder. “Listen! I hate my father just as much as all of you do. Despite being a member of the royal family, I support nothing, _nothing_ that my father has done. I came here with Dream because I understand that in order for him, for _anyone_ who isn’t a part of the nobility to live peacefully inside Camellia, my father’s rule must come to an end.” 

The room falls silent again, and George lets his words hang in the air before speaking again. 

“I want to see the return of magic in Camellia.” 

The woman watches him with cold eyes before gesturing to the purple-eyed boy. He jumps out of his seat excitedly. 

“Check their intentions.” She instructs. 

The boy rubs his hands together, grinning. “Okay, folks! Time for a demonstration of main man Mr. Purpled’s incredible magical abilities!” He announces. 

“You!” The boy-Purpled- says, pointing to Phil. “Come over here, and sit down. Just a quick mental check, it won’t even sting.” 

Dream’s heart drops to his feet. 

_Mental check, Psyche Magic, Mental probes-_

“We’re not going to hurt your friends.” 

Dream nearly jumps out of his skin, looking down to see the woman standing beside him. 

“Unless we really have to, of course.” She adds, watching Phil and Purpled disappear off into another room. 

“My parents were a member of Hibernis, you know.” Dream says to her. Phil leaves the room, and Quackity, Ponk and Skeppy go inside. 

“If you were from Solaris, I wouldn’t doubt it. We had a lot of members in that town.” She shrugs. 

“You know the name of my town?” Dream asks. Quackity leaves, Tubbo and Tommy go in. 

“I know the name of every town in Camellia.” She says with a smirk. George goes in. 

It’s quiet for a moment, other than the soft chatter of the Hibernis members still seated. 

“You don’t look much older than me.” Dream says, looking her up and down. She only came up to about his shoulder in height. 

“I’m probably not.” Comes the casual response. 

George exits the room, followed by Purple, who gives the woman a thumbs up. She raises her eyebrows. 

“Well then, if everyone’s clean, then we don’t have much to worry about, do we?” She says, putting a hand on her hip. 

“I’m surprised there were other survivors from Solaris. The fire killed so many.” Purpled whistled, returning to his seat. 

“Solaris was a good place.” Someone says, followed by noises of assent. 

“Settle down.” The woman says, and she turns to face the re-assembled group. 

“I, Alyssa, Elect Leader of Hibernis, pronounce you all members. Blah, blah, blah, some fancy latin statement.” She says, rolling her eyes. Some people at the table chuckle. 

“Now, more importantly. I want all magic users to come forth. Hibernis is magic centered.” Alyssa says. 

Phil and Quackity move forwards.

“I’m a powerful magician, formerly of the king’s court.” Phil explains. Alyssa nods, raising her eyebrows, before gesturing to Quackity. 

“I make potions.” He shrugs. 

“Are you magic born?” Alyssa inquires further. 

“I have no idea what that is.” Quackity admits. 

“There’s a difference between different types of magic.” Phil explains. “There are those who were born doing strong magic, and those who were taught. Everyone is magical, after all.” 

“Everyone is magical?” Tubbo asks, tilting his head to the side. 

“Everyone is capable of doing magic.” Alyssa says. She outstretches her palm, and slowly, a small ball of pale pink light forms. The group gasps. 

“It’s simple, and cannot do a lot of complicated spells. But, useful.” She moves the ball towards her mouth. “Such as, projecting one’s voice.”

As the ball comes close to her mouth, Alyssa’s voice becomes twice as loud. 

“You can also create beacons, start small fires, and such. It’s pure magical energy anyone is capable of harnessing.” She says, and the ball vanishes. 

“And you never _told me this?_ ” Tommy exclaims, turning to Phil, who chuckles. 

“Magic use is punishable, Tommy. I’d rather you go thinking that it’s a hereditary trait then dodging being convicted of high treason.” 

“That is why we exist.” Alyssa says with a small smile. “Hibernis exists to reestablish magic. It is not as dividing as one may think. Magic can bring all together, whether you are magical born or you learned. Our society could thrive with the use of magic, we could be truly selfless.” 

“Would you be able to teach us magic?” Ponk asks. Alyssa’s smile only grows wider. 

“Of course. As members of Hibernis, we will work together to teach you all magic.” 

Members of the group begin to gleefully talk amongst themselves. Dream looks down at George, who stands stunned. 

“Even me?” He asks Alyssa, palms outstretched. 

Alyssa nods. 

“I trust you, George. You seem different from your father. Plus, teaching a member of the royal family magic is quite the power move.” She says, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. 

George’s smile is full of relief and anticipation. 

“Come sit at the table. We have quite a lot to discuss, and things to catch you all up on.” Alyssa says, and walks back to the table. The group follows, pulling up chairs and sitting beside strangers who introduce themselves. 

Dream sits between Tubbo and George, Sapnap and Fern across from him. The two were deep in a conversation, only interrupted by Alyssa clearing her throat. 

“Now that we are all situated, we can continue to discuss our current plans as a group.” She says, her expression serious again. 

“As most of you, and probably George, know, tensions between Camellia and Middarria are high. Only a few days ago, one of our members who has access to the King’s court reported that the King is close to declaring war.” Alyssa explains. George nervously plays with his hands. 

“War between Camellia and Middarria will put us and many of our members at risk. The King might want more men in his army, and if any of us are to be drafted, it could result in disaster. I think it's time we stepped outside of Camellia and broadened our influence.” 

“‘Our influence’, meaning, we go to Middarria?” Phil asks.

Alyssa nodded. “The King of Middarria is familiar with Hibernis. He has not directly said he agrees with us, but he did say that we make solid points. I think an allyship with the King of Middarria is possible. Allyship with him provides us with the resources Middarria has, being a kingdom accepting of magic and overall more advanced than Camellia. We could potentially then bring word over from Middarria back to Camellia and inspire a revolt amongst the people.” 

“That’s quite wishful thinking.” A man says. 

“War will tear us apart. Us, meaning Hibernis, and Camellia as a kingdom. These lands must be protected from a war we cannot win.” Dream can hear the passion in Alyssa’s voice, seeing the way her brow furrows as she thinks. 

“There is no other way to overthrow my father other than allyship with someone outside of Camellia.” George says, folding his hands on the table. “He’s got all of the villages and all of the cityfolk strung tight on fear and threats. If we were to inspire a revolt, we’d need to provide a sense of security- a feeling that they do have strength against my father.” 

Alyssa nods. “I figured that. Which is why Middarria is our best option, since they have reason to not want your father in power either.” The table is silent, everyone in thought. 

“So? Are we doing this?” Alyssa asks. 

Noises of assent sound from around the table, everyone nodding. Alyssa smiles. “Good. Now that we have an idea of what we’re doing, let me explain how we’ll be doing it.”

A man beside Alyssa silently leans down, picking something up and handing it to Alyssa. “Thank you, Callahan.” She says quietly. 

Alyssa spreads the map over the table, and everyone cranes their necks to look. 

Pointing at the map, Alyssa speaks. “I think a group of us goes to Middarria to speak with the King, and keep watch in Middarria. The rest of us stay here. I will appoint someone to watch over the group who remains in Camellia, whilst I lead others in Middarria.

“It’s a long journey to Middarria, but it will only take us a week or two if we go on horseback. The snow shouldn’t delay us much, especially if we go through the North Star woods. Once we arrive in Middarria, we give our proposition. Worst case scenario, we are rejected and return to Camellia. If we are accepted, we remain in Middarria and send weekly updates by owl. So, we can chose plan of action whilst we are there.” Alyssa looks up from the map to everyone nodding. 

“How will you pick groups?” Purpled asks. 

“By who seems most logical to take with us.” Alyssa says. “A medium sized group would be good. Too big or too small could both be dangerous.” She scans over the group. 

“George would be obvious. He can’t stay in the city, not with everyone looking for him.” She says, and George turns pale. “Phil can come too, both since he’s a powerful magic user and just for George to feel more comfortable. Purpled as well. Callahan goes where I go, so it’s a given. Quackity can come as well, being a potion maker.” 

“I don’t know Phil or Quackity very well.” George blurts nervously. 

Alyssa raises an eyebrow. “Alright then. You can pick someone to come with us.” 

George immediately turns to Dream. “Dream.”

Alyssa shrugs. “Fine by me. We can teach you both magic along the way.” 

“Wait-If Dream goes, Sapnap and I go too.” Tubbo says. 

Suddenly, the group bursts into chatter. Wilbur, Techno and Tommy demand they go if Tubbo and Phil go. Alyssa pinces the bridge of her nose. 

“Alright, alright. Settle down.” She says, and the room falls quiet. “People who are going for sure are Me, Callahan, Purpled, Phil, Quackity, George and Dream. Tommy, Tubbo, Sapnap and Techno can come as well, but that’s where I’ll cap it. Any more people will make us too obvious.” 

Dream imagines Tubbo trekking through the snow. Risking his life during unprecedented times of war. 

“Tubbo and Tommy don’t have to come. That makes room for Wilbur and Fern. Wilbur’s good with geography, and Fern can help Quackity with potions.” Dream says, and Tubbo turns to glare at him. 

“No way. I’m going.” He says. 

“It’s dangerous. It’s not some day trip.” Dream responds, just as firm. 

“Tubbo and Purpled are the same age. Purpled can show Tubbo the ropes, Tommy too” Alyssa says, sensing their conflict. 

Dream stares deep into Tubbo’s blue eyes. Tubbo looks determined, unwavering. 

Dream knows he won’t be able to convince him to stay. 

“Fine.” Dream sighs. Tubbo grins, and Dream can’t help but smile back. 

Alyssa folds her hands. “Alright then. Dorian.” Alyssa addresses a man, who sits up straight and looks at Alyssa. “You’ll be in charge whilst I’m gone. Feel free to appoint a second for yourself later.” 

“When do you plan on leaving?” Skeppy asks. 

Alyssa shrugs, rolling up the map. “Tomorrow. Afternoon, hopefully. Travelling by night is not ideal.” 

“ _What?_ So soon?” Fern exclaims. 

“Well, of course. Middarria and Camellia can head to war any day now. A week’s time, _minimum_ , is a long time to stay with no information. We should aim to arrive in Middarria as soon as possible, before anything escalates.” Alyssa says, handing the map to Callahan. 

Fern furrows their brow, but is silent. 

Callahan pulls a small notebook out of his pocket, scribbling something down and then handing the book to Alyssa. She reads, nodding, before handing the notebook back to Callahan. 

“So, tomorrow we rise and prepare. We should be on the road no later than two in the afternoon. The weather’s been looking down recently, so we want to beat any storms which may be on their way. I will give Dorian instructions to pass on whilst we are gone.” Alyssa says, a content smile on her face. “May you all have a blessed evening, and a restful sleep.” 

The group echoes her words before standing, most making their way to leave the room. Dream and his group are about to do the same, but they are quickly stopped by Alyssa. 

“Now, you are all a special lot. Thankfully, Purpled’s father is the innkeeper, and he can easily grant you all a place to stay so you do not risk getting caught by guards at this late of an hour.” She says. 

“Thank you for your kindness, Alyssa. You are a spectacular leader.” Phil says, dipping his head slightly. 

Alyssa flushes, giggling. “I’m simply doing my job.” She composes herself, smoothing her tunic dress. “Alright. You should find some articles of clothing in your rooms. I only request you wear the boots, as you might find out why yourselves.” She says. 

The group parts with Alyssa, and let Purpled guide them to where their rooms are. 

As Dream curls up in bed, hearing Tubbo and Tommy’s conversation fade and watching George’s chest rise and fall as Sapnap’s back presses against his own, Dream can’t help but feel like this is a new beginning. A new chapter in his story, a story which was prewritten. 

This is fate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wrote the majority of this chapter whilst listening to a enchanted forest ambience video on youtube. i feel as though it translated into my writing, which is a good thing. shorter chapter today, i know, i just need to work on the divides better. keeping the timeline neat! alyssa deserves to be in more fics, she's lovely and i miss her dearly. callahan as well. hopefully you all enjoyed!! again, im so very excited for the next few chapters. we're getting real fantasy novel vibes now. please comment your theories, questions, anything! i love interacting with you all. kudos and comments fuel me! see you <3


	21. Enchanted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for 1000+ kudos <3

Dream wakes up to his shoulder being shook, and opens his eyes to see Sapnap’s face. 

“Ugh, what a horrible way to start my day.” Dream groans, screwing his eyes shut. Sapnap shoves him. 

“You’re an idiot. Get up, breakfast is being served down in the pub and we want to be ready before noon.” Sapnap says, and Dream feels the mattress shift as Sapnap climbs off of it. 

Dream rubs his eyes and moves to sit at the edge of the bed. He puts on a new pair of pants and the boots Alyssa requested they all wear, combing his hand through his hair before leaving the room and walking downstairs to the pub.

It was strangely quiet, the lively atmosphere of the pub from the night prior faded away with the morning’s arrival. Pale sunlight streamed through the windows, signifying that the sky was still cloudy as it had been the past few days. 

Hibernis was scattered around the tables, members sitting in pairs or alone, talking and eating. Dream took a seat beside George, at a table with the rest of the family including Sapnap. For a moment, Dream felt normal. Caught up in their conversation, it was like the breakfast before he retrieved his memories. 

Plates were cleaned and mugs were drunk dry (after Dream received much teasing for feeling physically sick just smelling Phil’s coffee). Alyssa stood from the table where she had formerly sat. “Thank you for being on time, everyone. I hope you all slept well!” She says sweetly, a smile on her face. 

“We have quite the bit of preparation to do before my group and I leave for Middarria in a few hours. Finish your meals, then meet with whoever is leading you, either I or Dorian.” She says. The members make noise of assent, some turning back to their meals, others standing up and cleaning up after themselves. 

Dream himself stands, making his way over to Alyssa. She greets him with a pleasant smile. “Good morning, Dream. I hope you slept well?” 

“I did.” Dream said with an equally pleasant smile. 

“Good. We’ll be heading off in a moment.” She says, brushing her tunic dress down. 

Soon enough, everyone finished their meals and began to crowd around their designated leaders.

“O-kay!” Alyssa says enthusiastically. “Not all of you know where the stables are, so I’ll lead you there. We’ll grab our things and make our way out of our usual exit. I want to try to get to the North Star forest before nightfall, which may be a bit of a stretch, but it’s safer to camp the night there.” The group nods. “Okay. Grab your things, we’ll be off in a minute.” 

Dream turns to grab his back, double checking to make sure he had all the belongings he had been told to bring with him. He feels a light tap on his shoulder, and turns around to see Skeppy. 

“Just sayin’ bye.” Skeppy says with a smile. Dream grins and the two share a half hug. “Er- Also, kind of a weird request, but could you do a favor for me once you get to Middarria?” 

Dream nods. “Yeah, sure man.” 

“Could you say Hi to a ‘Bad’ for me? That’s his name, I mean. Bad.” Skeppy stammers. Dream raises an eyebrow. 

“Never knew you had friends in Middarria, let alone someone named ‘Bad’.” Dream teases, and Skeppy flushes. 

“You know I travel. It’s just been a while, is all.” 

Dream says parting words to Fern, Ponk and Wilbur as they head out. Wilbur tells him another ominous statement, ending his sentence with a wink and a warm laugh. Dream pretends to not be shaken. 

Alyssa leads the group behind Jagged Tree Inn, where they surprisingly enough, find a well-kept stable. Alyssa leads horses out, splitting the group into pairs. Purpled sighs happily as he climbs onto his personal horse, stretching his legs out in front of him. 

“Glad I don’t have to share with the newbies.” He says blissfully. Tommy rolls his eyes. 

“George!” Alyssa calls, holding the reins of a white-spotted brown horse. “This is Spirit, your and Dream’s horse.” George thanks her and takes the horse’s reins. 

“Off your horse, Purpled. We’re walking the horses to the exit.” Alyssa commands, but her voice is playful and she has a smile on her face. 

The group treks through the snow, following Alyssa’s lead as she leads them along the stone wall and behind buildings. 

Dream can’t help but feel as though their group is big. _Far_ too big. Ten people was an awful lot to bring on a mission that should be stealthy, but Alyssa looked like she knew what she was doing. Dream didn’t want to question her decisions, especially since she seemed like she had been leading HIbernis for a while now. 

Dream glances down into the snow, and is surprised with what he sees. 

With every footstep, the group leaves wolf tracks instead of boot prints. Alyssa grins. 

“There’s a reason I wanted you to wear these boots. The guards are looking for people, not a wolf pack.” She says, and Callahan nods dutifully.

“Why on Earth would a pack of wolves pass through the city?” Tommy mumbles, barely audible.

Dream lifts his shoe and is surprised to see the way a wolf print was detailed into the bottom. “How did I not notice earlier?” He mutters, and continues on. 

They reach an abandoned house, pressed up against the city wall. It’s presence in the snow leaves Dream feeling eerie. 

They enter, walking through. The roof is caved in, and snow litters the dirty floors. Barely any salvageable furniture is on the floor. Dream tries not to pay much mind to the lingering thought of what this house used to be. 

Alyssa leads them to the very back of the house, where there is a giant gash, opening into the woods. She steps through, and everyone follows. When Dream turns around, they have exited the city and the walls stand behind him. 

“Wow.” Breathes Phil, eyes wide. 

“My reaction exactly when I first saw this. It’s gone so many years unnoticed. Unfortunately, it leads us to the wrong side we need to be on. We’ll have to be stealthy when moving onto the road we need to be on.” Alyssa explains, mounting her horse. 

Everyone else does the same, and they pause, waiting for further instruction. Alyssa smiles and sighs, her breath clouding in front of her mouth. 

“Onwards we march.”

-

Dream wasn’t sure how long they had been riding for, but he knew that it's been over three hours since the city walls had faded into the snowy fog. 

Dream’s thighs began to ache from sitting on the saddle for so long, and evidently George felt the same way, as he had no issue making his complaints heard. But everytime he muttered anything about wanting to stop and stretch, Alyssa responded with “wolf tracks and horse hooves don’t mix”, and each time Phil nodded understandingly. 

Alyssa and Callahan ride beside Dream and George, and Dream sees Callahan pull out his notebook, scribbling something down.

Over the hours they had spent on the road, Dream learned that Callahan did not speak, and the little notebook was his way of communicating. He still didn’t know if he was mute or simply chose not to speak, but he’d rather not pry. 

Callahan handed the book to Dream, who took it and read the man’s cursive. 

_You know, once, when I was a kid, I ate a mushroom from a fairy ring._

Dream raised an eyebrow, glancing over at Callahan. “Okay, and then what?” He asked with a mirthful lilt to his voice. 

Callahan took the book back, scribbling again, and then handing it back. 

_I shat sparkles._

Dream snorted and Callahan’s face exploded into a smile. Dream couldn’t help but give into the man’s lame attempt to make him laugh (which worked). 

“What?” George asked. 

“Just Callahan.” Dream sighed. 

“What’d he do?”

“...Callahan things.” 

“Tell me.” George protested, but Dream simply set his chin down on George’s shoulder and closed his eyes, giving into his bored fatigue. 

The light around them dulled, and the sky turned more and more grey. After what felt like an hour of quiet, separate conversations, Phil spoke. 

“We should be nearing the North Star forest, correct?” He asked, glancing up at the sky. 

“We better be.” Quackity grumbled. 

“We _should_ be. Worst case scenario, we camp in the snow.” Alyssa sighs. Sapnap groans at the mere prospect of doing so. 

“You said you’d teach us magic along the way, but you haven’t shown us anything yet.” Tommy said. 

“It’s hard to teach while we’re moving. Once we stop, maybe.” Came Alyssa’s response. 

Soon enough, small snowflakes drift down from the sky, dusting everyone’s hair and making the bitter cold around them apparent. Dream moves closer to George, hoping to catch some of his warmth. 

It's quiet. Too quiet, Dream thinks. Besides horse hooves crunching in the snow, there was no sound. Conversations fell silent as everyone focused on moving ahead, conserving heat and energy. 

When they had been leaving, Dream noticed the group felt too big. Maybe Alyssa did it with purpose?

Dream watched her on her horse, blonde hair littered with snowflakes, pretty features spelling out her intense focus, and even glimpses of frustration. Maybe even fear.

She never did tell Dream her age, but Dream knew she was young. Too young to be travelling to a foreign kingdom in hopes of negotiating their way out of war. 

For a moment, Dream contemplates asking her how she’s feeling. Maybe providing empathy. But he decides not to break her focus.

“We’re here.” She sighs finally, shoulders dropping as if she released a heavy weight she had been carrying on them. 

Dream looked up, and past the snow covered pines he saw lush greenery. 

“What-?” Tubbo breathes, voice full of awe. Purpled whoops happily. 

“Winter doesn’t affect the North Star forest since it’s one of the three Enchanted Forests, right?” Phil asks, a smile on his face. 

Alyssa nods. “Yeah, something like that.” 

“Wait, but isn’t-” Techno begins, but is swiftly cut off by Purpled, who trots to be beside Alyssa. 

“It shaped like a circle?” Purpled finishes, staring off into the forest. “Yep. Which means we’ll pass through a bit of the Enchanted Forest, then back into the snow, and then into the Enchanted Forest again.” 

“You’re kidding.” Quackity grumbles. 

“The inner circle isn’t too big. If we can cover some more ground today, we can make it through the rest of the forest tomorrow. Day after that, we can make it through the entire inner circle and back into the Enchanted forest. Then we’re Middarria bound.” Alyssa said. 

“I’m sick of the snow.” Tommy shivers. “Let’s go in!” 

Alyssa rolls her eyes, but smacks her horse’s reins, and the group enters the forest. 

There’s an immediate change in climate. 

The snow trickles away, and the air feels warmed. Humid, yet still crisp when Dream inhales. As they walk in deeper, Dream feels why it is called an Enchanted Forest. 

All the plants are green, despite the winter which billows just outside. The bark of some trees almost has a purple-ish hue, and a cyan fog lays thick over the forest, minimizing how far the group can see. Every so often, a bright orb of light flicks across Dream’s vision, but it’s always too fast for Dream to focus on. 

Glowing mushrooms peek out from underneath deep green bushes, shining pink, purple, blue and white. Baby blue bellflowers glow, magic particles dancing off of them like shimmery dust. Pulses of magic flurry up trees in striping lines. The entire time, the silence is filled by members of the group making sounds of awe. 

Somewhere, a stream gurgles with water. An owl hoots, summer bugs creak in the bushes. Every inhale sends a restless feeling down into the pit of Dream’s stomach, and he feels like he’s inhaling stardust. 

“Best we stop soon, Alyssa.” Phil says quietly. “The North Star forest is not all pretty lights.” 

Alyssa nods. “Thank you for reminding me.” 

The group searches for a clearing, and they soon find one. Callahan and Techno put up tents, whilst Tommy and Purpled collect sticks for firewood. 

“I bet I can find the biggest stick.” Tommy challenges. 

“Oh yeah?” Purpled counters, face breaking into a mischievous smile. 

“Not my fault if you trip and die.” Alyssa shrugs. 

“Don’t worry about me, I can catch myself.” Purpled says, summoning a bit of purple light to his hand. “But Tommy? With those lanky legs, you should be a little concerned.” 

“You’re just upset you barely come up to my nose.” Tommy retorts. Purpled blows raspberry.

Purpled remembers their established challenge, and darts off into the forest, Tommy quickly following. 

“Don’t you think they might get lost?” Techno asks, smoothing the canvas down on a pale yellow tent. 

“Purpled can make a beacon, if anything.” Alyssa says simply. 

“Tommy will probably trip, but he won’t die. He’s invincible.” Tubbo sighs, and Dream chuckles. 

Once Tommy and Purpled return, both heaving an equal amount of sticks in their arms, Tommy has a dirt stain on his coat. 

“So you _did_ trip!” Purpled says smugly, tossing his sticks into a pile. 

“Yes, and I caught myself like the enormous man I am.” Tommy huffed. 

Sapnap laid stones around the sticks in a circle, enclosing their makeshift fire pit. He reached into his pockets for a match, but Callahan extended an arm, gesturing for him to stop. 

Callahan pointed at the fire and flicked his wrist. A small jet of light blue magic sprung out of the tip of his pointer finger and hit the sticks. A small spark came to life, before it spread over the rest of the sticks, and gradually became a fire. 

“Okay. Lessons start _now._ ” Sapnap said, eyes wide. 

Alyssa laughs. “Alright, alright. I’ll do my best.” 

“I’ll help, if anything.” Phil chimes in. 

Alyssa sticks out her hand, outstretching her palm. 

“The key to magic is focus. It gets easier to focus the more you practice, of course, but when you first try, you have to be super aware of everything.

“Try noticing how everything around you feels. Like, how you feel your bum resting on the ground. Or how the air feels against your cheeks. Really focus on how everything feels.

“You might feel, like, restless, or something. Like this knot in your stomach, almost. Focus on that energy. Then, what I like to do, is imagine the energy traveling up into my chest, down my arm and into my hand. Then I sort of imagine it seeping through my pores.” As Alyssa finishes her sentence, a ball of pink magic forms in her palm. “When I want to stop, I just imagine sucking the magic back in, or like, snuffing out a flame.” The light vanishes. 

“Wayyy too complicated.” Quackity says, scratching behind his neck. 

“It might take a couple of tries, but you’ll get it eventually. Try.” Alyssa encourages. “Enchanted Forests increase magical activity, too. So it might be easier.” 

Tommy and Tubbo were already giving it a go, sitting with their eyes shut and faces spelling out concentration. They occasionally flexed their hands, opening an eye and sighing when no magic occurred. 

Sapnap bit his lip, flexing his palm, and miraculously, a ball of orange appeared. He gasped. 

“Stay focused.” Phil guided, smiling. 

Sapnap looked at the ball, moving his hand and watching it twirl around him, the orange glow illuminating his awestruck expression. Dream felt his chest fill with pride. 

“Oh, no fucking way you did it before me!” Quackity groaned, and Sapnap cackled. He let the light dim, before summoning it back, getting faster and faster. 

Quackity was the second to summon magic into his palm, cheering like a madman when navy blue light came to life in his hand. 

Techno’s palm lit up with a burgundy color, and he balanced it on his finger, admiring it. Phil smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

Tubbo let out a yelp, emerald green coloring his hand. Tommy shrieked nearly seconds later, a red orb in his hand. 

Dream gasped when his own lime-colored ball of magic sprung to life. 

George sat still, eyes screwed shut and mouth pulled into a thin line. “It’s not working!” He whined, shoulders slumping as he dropped his hand. 

“Maybe yer’ just not lettin’ it.” Phil shrugs. George raises an eyebrow.

“Let me know if I’m oversteppin’ something, but maybe yer’ fear of magic is holding ya back when you try and do it, y’know? Try and be more relaxed.” Phil reiterates. 

George bites his lip and nods. He exhales, closing his eyes and outstretching his palm again. Five minutes pass, and while the others fool around with their new found abilities, Dream fears George will give up any second now. 

He flexes his palm once. He flexes his palm twice. 

Suddenly, a small, cornflower-blue ball hovers above George’s palm. He gasps, and the ball only grows bigger. Alyssa grins. 

“Magic is reintroduced to the royal family!” She announces excitedly. 

The moment of awe is promptly ruined by Sapnap bringing his orange orb to his mouth and shouting, “ _Penis!_ ”, voice magicked to be louder.

The group lets their worries melt away as they fool around with their magic, shouting into them to project their voices, forming beacons and setting leaves on fire. The night is spent laughing until everyone feels tired and dazed, rolling out their bedrolls whilst still in a laughing haze. 

“I guess, on a more serious note, since we all know magic now, if anything happens for us to split, or if we’re in trouble, just making a beacon. It’ll be easier to find one another that way.” Alyssa says, folding out her blanket. The group hums in response. 

Dream’s eyelids feel heavy, and he gladly crawls into his tent and lets sleep take him. He dreams of magic and quests, and remembers none of what he dreamt when he awakes. 

-

_Alyssa,_

_This letter should reach you once you arrive in Middarria. If I do not receive a response within five days, take my word when I say I will worry. So, I hope it reaches you in good health._   
_Everything is going according to plan here, although the amount of security has increased for unknown reasons. The King has not been seen in public since he had announced a lockdown across the city. There is no news on the tensions with Middarria._   
_A few pubs have been raided by guards, and we speculate they are searching for us. I have no idea how the King said to look in pubs, whether it was a tip from someone or some lucky guess remains unclear._   
_Purpled’s father had offered to close Jagged Tree earlier in the night, but I told him it’d raise suspicion. It felt like what you’d do. I think the last thing we should be doing now is making ourselves stick out any. The Jagged Tree is barely known for anything, if it closes early, that’ll bring attention. I hope you agree._   
_Wilbur, Skeppy and Ponk have proved themselves very useful. Wilbur is quick witted and very good with geography. He’s helped with putting our maps more into perspective, helping create a better idea of when this letter should arrive in Middarria, and when you all should arrive as well._   
_Overall, though the outside situation feels concerning, I am not too worried. I think I can handle our current pressures, and with our new group additions, we can tackle new challenges._   
_I will send more letters, should anything worth noting occur._

_I await your response._

_Blessed be,_   
_Dorian._

-

The group continues their way through the forest at the break of dawn, Alyssa chanting something about “needing to get a head start” over and over, like a mantra. 

Once they get on their horses, Dream’s still tired. George shoves him upfront, saying he’s had enough of controlling the horse. Dream groans loudly, but silences the rest of his own protests. 

Tommy and Tubbo fool around with their magic, occasionally projecting their voices or zapping at other horse’s rear-ends, causing them to rear. 

Eventually, the warm shade begins to thin, and a cold bites at Dream’s nose. 

“We’re nearing the middle pass.” Phil said, shrugging his coat back on. George layered his scarf around his face again. 

The group dresses warm again, and is sad to part with the magic forest. They knew they would pass through it once more, but nonetheless, Alyssa seemed to get antsy at the mention of middle pass. 

The glowing trees fade into dead ones, and the group finds themselves in snow once more. Purpled laughs when Tommy and Tubbo notice that their magic is no longer as powerful as it used to be. 

“This might be a good training opportunity for you two, since you no longer have the enchanted forest enhancing your abilities.” Alyssa chirps. Callahan puts a gentle hand on her shoulder, expression stern. 

Alyssa’s smile drops off her face. 

She clears her throat. 

“On second thought, keep it down a bit.” She says, and provides no further context. 

Dream doesn’t like it one bit. 

And neither does George or Techno. 

Techno gives Alyssa a narrow gaze, evidently suspicious. 

“I don’t like the way she’s being shifty. There’s something about the middle pass that she isn’t telling us.” George whispers, his breath hot again’s Dream’s ear lobe. 

“I agree, but I trust Alyssa. I think she has an idea of what she’s doing. I may have spent time in the wilderness, but I’ve never heard anything about the middle pass.” Dream whispers back. George sticks his tongue in his cheek, not adding anything further to the conversation. 

The group continues on in silence.

Tommy and Tubbo seem to forget about Alyssa’s words, and return to fooling around. This time, joined by Purpled. 

They dive into a snowball fight, magicking their balls of snow into the air with a raise of a finger. Snowballs reflecting the color purple hit with precision, whilst ones reflecting red and green pelted from all directions. 

A snowy bush shook, the ice falling off of it. 

Alyssa immediately stops. 

“What was that?” She says, and Dream can’t help but notice her panicked tone. 

“I think one of our snowballs landed in the bush.” Tubbo explained, a snowball hovering just above his pointer finger. 

Alyssa stood silently, eyes wide. 

Suddenly, a scream was heard. 

Dream spun around 

A masked man emerges from the bushes, followed by several others. They swing swords. 

Purpled’s horse rears as he narrowly misses a sharp, shimmery blade. 

Tommy engages in a swordfight with a man whilst Tubbo fires at others with his crossbow. 

Dream moves to aid Purpled, until-

“ _Don’t touch him!_ ” 

Dream spins around to see Sapnap gallop in front of him and George, waving his arm. 

A wall of flame erupts from the ground in front of the man who charged at Dream. 

He screams and jumps back. 

The fire vanished as quickly as it came, leaving everyone stunned. 

“Magicks…” A man says, staring at the group with wide eyes. 

Alyssa extends her hand in front of her, a pink, glowing aura of magic surrounding it like a glove. 

“Begone.” She commands, her voice commanding, and yet shaky. Dream hears her fear. It isn’t reassuring. 

The man smiles wryly. “Now now, miss. No need to fret. We do not hurt magicks.” He says. 

“We have no reason to believe you.” Purpled says, his grip on his sword white-knuckled. 

The man parts his cloak to reveal deep purple armor, shining with a purple glow. Quackity hisses in a breath, and Sapnap gives him a look. 

“Enchanted netherite. That’s impossible to find _anywhere._ ” He says, and Alyssa’s eyes go wide. 

The man nods. “Magicks were kind to us once. They provided us with materials, shelter from the king who pursued us.” 

“Will you let us go, then?” Alyssa asks. 

The man clicks his tongue, standing up straight. “Let’s not get too hasty. I said we wouldn’t hurt you, but that doesn’t mean the materials you carry couldn’t possibly be of great use to us.” A few of his men grunt behind him. “You must be on quite an important journey, traveling the short route through Middle Pass to a kingdom on the verge of war.” 

Alyssa readies her sword, but Phil extends a hand. 

“We won’t stand a single chance against enchanted netherite. Just….Just give him what he wants.” He sounds exasperated, but almost scolding, with the tone of a disappointed father. 

Alyssa’s ears go red, and she sheaths her sword. 

“F-Fine. What is it you want?” She says, brushing over her voice crack smoothly. 

The man grins. “Surely a big pack of travelers such as yourselves carry some golden apples. Perhaps mending spell books?” 

Alyssa grimaces, but hops off her horse, throwing her bag into the snow and kneeling to shuffle through it. 

She pulls out three apples that shimmer like gold and a book that is encased with the same purple glow as the bandit’s armor. She tosses them to him, and he catches them with ease. 

“Would that be all?” Alyssa says, her tone mocking kindness. 

The bandit scowls, and Dream almost expects him to lunge at her, but he simply stores the materials away into his own bag. 

“You’re free to go.” The bandit says, waving his hand. “Be glad we didn’t ask for anything else.” 

Dream feels George tense behind him. 

Alyssa nods. 

“You’re a big lot. Kinda stupid of you all to decide to go travelin’ through bandit land with such a large amount of people.” One of the bandits says, and the men around him chuckle. 

Alyssa narrows her eyes. “We’ll be off.” 

“Sure, sure. Whatever.” 

Alyssa smacks the reins of her horse, and the rest of the group follows suit. 

After maybe twenty minutes of silent riding, the group is sure that the bandits have left them, and burst into commotion. 

“Why didn’t you tell us there were bandits?!” Tommy shouts accusingly, as Sapnap exclaims from his own horse. 

“I just summoned _fucking fire_!” He stares down at his hands in disbelief. 

“Alyssa, I told you we’re a big group. The least you could’ve done is notified us that we were passin’ through _bandit land!_ With literal fuckin’ kids with us!”

“Just- _shut up!_ All of you, please!” Alyssa shouts, and the group goes silent once more. 

Dream notices the drops of shimmery tears gathering at her eyelids. 

She inhales deeply, letting out a shaky sigh. 

“Sapnap’s a pyrokinetic. That’s good, really good. I didn’t think we had any more elemental magicks with us.” Purpled said. Sapnap gasps. 

“I have elemental magic? You’re shitting me.” He grins. 

“That explains why you’re like a fucking furnace. It’s literally in your blood.” Dream retorts, and Quackity cackles. 

“That’s nice, but we just got attacked by bandits and had our stuff stolen.” Techno says, his voice perfectly monotone as always. 

“The King of Middarria recently did sweeps through Middle Pass to deal with the influx of bandits at his borders. I assumed that took care of the most of them, since they said it was successful, but…” Alyssa’s voice trails off, and a simple gloved hand comes up to her face to rub at her eyes. 

Dream can’t help but feel a pang of sympathy. 

Techno opens his mouth to say more, but Phil interrupts him. 

“It’s alright. We’re nearly back in the enchanted forest, which marks Middarria territory. We’ll be fine.” He says, sighing through his words. 

Their journey continues on in a shaken silence. 

-

_Alyssa,_

_I pray this letter finds you in good health. The winter is harsh on Camellia, and as per usual, the king does nothing about it. Sickness has overtaken the city, and clinics have been flooded with cases, all the way to capacity._  
 _I was concerned about the health of our members, until Wilbur had awoken his abilities as a bard! It truly was incredible. Ponk has been incredibly helpful repairing and mending materials, while Skeppy is skilled with potions. The two also have been growing stronger with their basic magic. Thus, health-wise, Hiberis couldn’t be better._  
 _Unfortunately, that is where the good news stops._  
 _The King has engaged prep for war, and draft posters have been put up as well. The award money for the safe return of Prince George has been upped to a million gold. I expect an increase in people looking for Prince George. I pray it brings you no complications. I understand that George is not just a political pawn to us, but also someone some of our new members hold dear. He is a new member. We cannot lose him, for various reasons. But, I am sure you know that._   
_More pubs have been raided. Some were closed, but I don’t know why. Overall, the situation is incredibly confusing, and I’d assume that they are not looking just for us specifically. Though this is concerning, it personally has brought a ray of hope to me. Resistances live on amongst the people, not just us. Perhaps our plan could work better. But, after the arrival of our new members, I do not think we’re in a position to collaborate with any other resistances which may reveal themselves in the near future. We don’t need exposure right now. I hope you do agree._

_I’m starting to think this is a lot more serious than I thought it was at first._

_You will always be a better leader than me, Alyssa._

_Write back soon please._

_~~i need advice.~~ _

_Blessed be,_   
_Dorian._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [rolls in late with a smoothie] ...hey
> 
> SORRY THIS IS LATE... i rewrote like half of this chapter because i absolutely despised the way it came out and i would Not let it be released out to the public in the state it was in. i really hope you guys liked this chapter! soo hyped for the next one, i love writing about magic and i want to write even more about it. alyssa development? alyssa development. i love her bad. no way i was gonna write the role of a charismatic, confident leader and not give her backstory. thank you all so much for the support!! it's truly mindblowing, i can't believe 1000+ people read my silly little minecraft youtuber au fanfiction and genuinely liked it. thank you so so much. see you <3

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [So lost in song](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27836815) by [sassyandlost](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sassyandlost/pseuds/sassyandlost)




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